When Donald Trump floated the idea of acquiring Greenland again (he also did it in 2019 [1]), the internet reacted like he’d suggested buying Pluto. Cue the memes. Cue the eye-rolling coming from the Democrats and hand-wringing by NATO nations. But buried beneath the snark is an uncomfortable truth: from a cold, strategic standpoint, acquiring Greenland actually makes a lot of sense.
Greenland, a territory of Denmark, sits smack in the Arctic crossroads between North America and Europe. As Russia and China become more aggressive, having expanded U.S. military and radar presence there isn’t vanity – it’s national defense. We already operate the Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) in northwestern Greenland. Owning the entire territory would mean fewer diplomatic hoops and faster response times in a rapidly heating Arctic as tensions rise with adversarial nations.
Greenland isn’t just ice and polar bears. It’s also packed with rare earth minerals [2] – the same materials needed for batteries, defense systems, and advanced tech. Right now, China dominates that market. Securing access would reduce reliance on adversaries and keep supply chains closer to home.
As ice melts, new shipping lanes are opening [3]. Whoever controls Arctic infrastructure also controls trade routes, resources, and leverage.
So yes, the pitch to acquire Greenland sounds like a real-estate punchline to many. But strategically? Buying Greenland isn’t crazy – it’s calculated, and very on brand with a president who wants to make sure America is both safe and prosperous.