Mamdani willing to put aside differences with Trump

In 2019, then President Donald Trump expressed his interest in purchasing Greenland, a territory of Denmark, but later said it wasn't a top priority. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dismissed the idea as absurd. Trump's interest resurfaced in late 2024 when he reiterated that ownership and control of Greenland was necessary.

His son, Donald Trump Jr., visited Greenland in January 2025 and suggested using military force to take control. Greenland's prime minister affirmed that Greenland was not for sale. In March 2025, Greenland's parliament rejected Trump's claims, leading to a coalition government with Jens-Frederik Nielsen as prime minister. Vice President JD Vance accused Denmark of underinvesting in Greenland's security during a visit to a U.S. space base in northwestern Greenland.

The U.S. summoned Denmark's foreign minister after reports of covert influence operations in Greenland.

Trump appointed Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as the U.S. special envoy to Greenland in December 2025, stating it was an honor to serve and make Greenland a part of the U.S. Denmark and Greenland insisted they would not cede control of the territory. The U.S. election of Nicolás Maduro was used as a pretext to reignite discussions about a U.S. takeover in January 2026.

Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen warned that an American military takeover would end NATO. Major European leaders joined Denmark in a statement defending Greenland's sovereignty.

Trump insisted on controlling the entire territory and not just using existing treaty rights. Greenlandic Prime Minister Nielsen insisted on Denmark as the preferred partner. The Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers met with Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to set up a working group. Denmark announced plans to increase its military presence in the Arctic, with European allies sending small numbers of troops for reconnaissance.

Trump threatened tariffs on European goods if they opposed U.S. control of Greenland. He later scrapped these tariffs after a deal on Arctic security talks began. Trump deployed a hospital ship to Greenland in July 2026, citing inadequate healthcare, despite Denmark's military evacuation of a U.S. submarine crew member. Trump's stance on Greenland remained contentious, with Denmark reaffirming its sovereignty and readiness to defend its territory.