On Tuesday, April 22, Hakeem Jeffries, the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives (Democratic Party of New York), announced that he will lead a bipartisan congressional delegation to visit Denmark to discuss the geopolitical status of Greenland, a territory under Danish leadership.
Jeffries stated that the members of Congress will discuss “the importance of continuing the NATO alliance and the geopolitical status of Greenland.”
The accompanying delegation includes Representatives Ann Wagner (Republican from Missouri), Gregory Meeks (Democratic from New York), Madeleine Dean (Democratic from Pennsylvania), Marilyn Strickland (Democratic from Washington), Greg Landsman (Democratic from Ohio), Laura Friedman (Democratic from California), and Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (Republican, delegate from American Samoa).
For a long time, the United States has maintained regional security in Greenland. During World War II, when Nazi Germany occupied Denmark, the U.S. entered Greenland and established military bases and broadcasting stations.
Even after the war, U.S. military forces remained stationed in Greenland. The Pituffik Space Base in the region is operated by the United States.
In 1951, the U.S. and Denmark signed a defense agreement that gives the U.S. an important role in Greenland’s defense, including the rights to build and maintain military bases.
Marc Jacobsen, Associate Professor at the Royal Danish Defence College, stated: “If Russia were to launch missiles towards the U.S., the shortest route for nuclear weapons would be through the Arctic and Greenland.” “This is why the Pituffik Space Base is crucial for defending the United States.”
According to reports from the Arctic Institute, both China and Russia have been enhancing their military presence in the Arctic in recent years. The report recommends that the U.S. develop its military capabilities in the Arctic to counter competitors like China and Russia.
In January, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen expressed Denmark’s willingness to discuss with the U.S., acknowledging Washington’s “legitimate” interests in the region. He stated, “We see Russia arming up. We see China getting interested as well.”
President Trump has expressed interest in Greenland several times. On March 26, during an interview with podcast host Vince Coglianese, he emphasized the importance of Greenland for international security. Trump said, “Let them know we need Greenland for international security. We need it. We gotta have it. It’s of security value, and it’s value that far exceeds the ‘cost.'”
However, Greenland’s leaders strongly oppose Trump’s idea. Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen declared on social media after taking office in March, “Let me be clear: America will not get that piece of land.” “We don’t belong to others, we decide our own future.”
In January, Jeffries criticized Trump’s “obsession” with acquiring Greenland. He told reporters in the Capitol Building, “For too long, the middle class in America has been shrinking, while the cost of living continues to rise. That’s the real issue.” “The problem is not Greenland, or renaming the Gulf of Mexico, or the Panama Canal. The problem is ensuring that the American dream comes true for all the people in the nation.”
At the end of March, Vice President JD Vance visited Greenland and proposed a peaceful acquisition plan for Greenland. He told reporters, “We think what will happen is that the people of Greenland will declare independence from Denmark, and then we will engage with the Greenlandic people in dialogue.”
Danish leaders stated that currently no one can prevent the U.S. from establishing more military bases in Greenland in response to geopolitical security concerns.
Former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt stated after Vance’s visit, “The treaty of 1951 is very clear, the U.S. has broad rights to use Greenland.” “The irony of it all is that the Americans could do it right now.” She said, “Greenland is NATO territory. If the Americans want to strengthen their military presence on Greenland, build more bases, there is no obstacle.”
Greenland is an island located in North America, within the Arctic Circle. About 80% of its territory is covered by ice and snow, making it the world’s largest island with a population of about 56,000, mostly indigenous Inuit people.
It is an autonomous territory of Denmark. In recent years, there has been growing interest in Greenland’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron. With global warming, melting ice caps have made resource extraction easier on the island.