Denmark may grant the United States sovereignty over specific plots of Greenlandic land for the construction of military bases.

The New York Times reports this, citing high-ranking officials familiar with the negotiations.

Such a step is being considered in the context of the intensifying struggle for control over the Arctic and the strategic importance of the island for US security. This is far from Washington's first attempt to establish a foothold in Greenland - the history of such initiatives spans more than a century and a half.

Here is the timeline of American interests regarding the island:

  • 1867. The then US Secretary of State explored the possibility of purchasing Greenland and Iceland, but Copenhagen rejected the deal.

  • 1910. A three-way exchange was discussed: the US receives Greenland and gives Denmark part of the Philippines, while Germany returns Northern Schleswig to the Danes.

  • 1946. The US secretly offered 100 million dollars in gold for the island, calling it a "military necessity" during the time of President Harry Truman.

  • 1955. The American military leadership recommended purchasing the island for military access.

  • 2019. Donald Trump publicly stated his desire to purchase Greenland, which caused a diplomatic scandal and the cancellation of a visit to Denmark.

  • 2025. Trump again called control over the island a necessity. A bill even appeared in Congress authorizing the president to begin negotiations on the purchase.

Military experts explain such persistence by geography. Greenland is part of the so-called GIUK Gap (Greenland-Iceland-UK) - a maritime passage critically important for containing the Russian Northern Fleet.

In a CNAS report, this corridor is called "ideal strategic gateways" which NATO tries to keep "closed".

Furthermore, according to Atlantic Council data, early warning systems stationed on the island "work directly for the defense of US territory".

The economic factor also means a lot. According to Reuters, 25 out of 34 critical minerals classified by the European Commission have been found in the island's depths.

The situation is heated up by competitor activity: the US records "concerning signals" due to strengthening cooperation between Russia and China in the region, as Beijing seeks to create its own "Polar Silk Road".