Even as Trump Threatens to Take Greenland, Denmark Moves Ahead with Over $15B in U.S. Arms Purchases

Despite President Donald Trump’s repeated threats over Greenland, Washington has approved arms transfers to Denmark worth more than $15 billion since last year.

On Sunday, Trump said the U.S. would take Greenland “one way or the other,” arguing that Washington must act to prevent Russia or China from expanding their influence in the Arctic. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said there is no fixed timeline for acquiring the island but confirmed it remains a priority for the president.

Denmark and Greenland have rejected the idea. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the island’s future “must be decided by the Greenlandic people,” while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any U.S. military action against Greenland would end NATO. European leaders, including U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, backed Denmark, stating that Greenland “belongs to its people.”

Despite the dispute, U.S.-Denmark defense cooperation has continued. Since early 2025 when Trump took office, the U.S. State Department has approved multiple Foreign Military Sales to Denmark, covering air and missile defense systems, combat aircraft munitions, maritime patrol aircraft, and command-and-control capabilities. The largest approval includes up to $8.5 billion for Patriot air and missile defense systems integrated with the U.S. Integrated Battle Command System (August 2025).

Additional approvals include $3.0 billion for Integrated Battle Command System and Indirect Fire Protection Capability equipment (December 2025), $1.8 billion for three P-8A maritime patrol aircraft (December 2025), $318.4 million for AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles (November 2025), $730 million for AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM missiles (December 2025), up to $951 million for AMRAAM-ER interceptors (December 2025), and $45 million for AGM-114R Hellfire missiles (January 2026).

Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, hosts a long-standing U.S. military presence and occupies a strategic position between North America and the Arctic. While Trump maintains that U.S. control is necessary for national security, Danish, Greenlandic, and European leaders continue to insist that any decision over the island’s future rests solely with its population.

Why’s Trump Interested in Greenland?

Greenland’s location between North America and Russia makes it strategically important for Arctic security. It sits near emerging Arctic shipping routes that, as ice melts, could shorten travel times between Asia and Europe compared with the Suez Canal. The island also anchors the G-I-UK (Greenland-Iceland-U.K.) gap, a long-standing naval chokepoint linking the Arctic and Atlantic.

The U.S. operates the Pituffik Space Base in western Greenland, a key site for missile defense and space surveillance, hosting about 150 U.S. troops. Beyond its location, Greenland holds large untapped reserves of oil, gas, and critical minerals, including rare earth elements vital for clean energy technologies and defense systems. While mining remains costly, climate-driven ice melt is expected to improve access, increasing Greenland’s strategic and economic relevance as Arctic routes stay open longer each year.