President Donald Trump has reignited his long-running push to bring Greenland under U.S. control, demanding new powers over the Arctic territory’s foreign deals.
Trump is reportedly pushing for the U.S. to gain sweeping influence over Greenland by demanding the power to block future Chinese or Russian investments on the Arctic island, according to The Telegraph.
Under the proposal, the U.S. would gain the ability to block companies linked to China and Russia from striking infrastructure or mining deals in Greenland.
American negotiators previously pushed for similar provisions in a trade agreement with Britain, giving Washington a mechanism to raise objections over Chinese-linked acquisitions or investments.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
President Trump has repeatedly argued that the U.S. should acquire or control Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, claiming it is vital for American national security and for countering Russia and China.
“If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will,” Trump said on Air Force One in January. “And I’m not letting that happen.”
The proposal has strained relations with Denmark — a fellow NATO member — and sparked broader concern across Europe.
Earlier this year, the U.S., Denmark and Greenland agreed to begin high-level talks aimed at easing tensions.
No final agreement has been announced, but officials have reportedly held roughly five rounds of discussions focused on increasing the U.S. military footprint in Greenland.
In those talks, U.S. officials are said to be especially focused on Greenland’s vast untapped reserves of rare earth minerals, oil, uranium and other strategic resources buried beneath the ice, The Telegraph reported.
The materials are considered crucial for products ranging from electric vehicles to missiles and fighter jets.
But the concern inside Washington is that China already dominates the global rare earth market, controlling around 70 percent of mining supply and about 90 percent of processing capacity, and American officials fear Beijing could weaponize that dominance during a future conflict, particularly over Taiwan.
Some diplomatic sources told The Telegraph they believe the Trump administration is using concerns about China as a way to secure a larger strategic foothold in Greenland.
Trump has also floated the idea of expanding the American military presence on the island by opening at least three new bases.
Both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly rejected any suggestion that the territory could be sold or brought under U.S. control, warning that military pressure would risk destabilizing NATO relations.
“We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders. The future of Greenland must be decided by the Greenlandic people,” Greenland’s government and the opposition said in a joint statement in January.
