(Bloomberg) -- It’s been a while since Denmark has been the object of Donald Trump’s enduring obsession with Greenland and needing to remind the returning president repeatedly that the world’s largest island isn’t for sale.
It’s a fixation that borders on the farcical. Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, he threatened to levy tariffs on Denmark “at a very high level” and when goaded with a question, he declined to rule out the use of military force to get his prize.
Can Trump Buy Greenland? What to Know Besides ‘No’: QuickTake
For the property mogul turned politician, it is as it was back in 2019, a large real estate deal. In his first term, the fetishization of this self-ruling Arctic territory that’s part of Denmark was bewildering. Some thought it was a joke, a bit like Canada now hearing over and over again that it could become part of the US.
When he left office, the hope was that the unrequited attention would end. But Trump is back and his interest has intensified. His son, Donald Trump Jr., visited Greenland on a private one-day trip on Tuesday and had preemptively rejected speculation he was on a scouting mission.
Then his father took to his social media platform to say “this is a deal that must happen.”
How to respond — or whether to simply ignore — the provocations poses a test for Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and for Europe’s most seasoned politicians, who have been bombarded by a series of pointed barbs, not just from Trump but also from Elon Musk.
GLOBAL REACT: US-Denmark Trade Data Flags Potential Pain Points
The 47-year-old Frederiksen is one of a handful of European leaders — such as France’s Emmanuel Macron — who have some experience dealing with Trump’s diplomatic whims. She had been in power for only a couple of months when she stood up to him the first time over Greenland — and in a fit of pique he scrapped a state visit to Denmark.
Danes generally support the union with Greenland. A survey published Tuesday by TV2 showed 58% want Greenland to remain a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, with only 28% saying it should become independent. Meanwhile, eight in ten respondents said the union benefits Greenland while only 53% said it’s an advantage for Denmark. Roughly half of Greenland’s government budget is financed through a direct subsidy from Denmark, amounting to about $500 million a year.
Greenland has a population of just 55,000, mainly located in small cities and villages by the western and eastern coastlines. Its size is three times greater than Texas, making it one of the world’s most sparsely populated areas.
Greenland has become a source of growing tension between the US and Denmark — allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization — after Trump last month resurfaced a five-year-old idea of wanting to buy the territory. He stressed that US ownership and control of the island is an “absolute necessity” for national security.
When a reporter pressed Trump to rule out economic or military coercion to gain control of Greenland and the Panama Canal, Trump said, “I’m not gonna commit to that. No. It might be that you’ll have to do something.” He added: “We need Greenland for national security purposes.”
Trump’s comments “are serious but we’re taking them as they come,” Mute B. Egede, Greenland’s premier, told Danish broadcaster DR after arriving in Copenhagen.
He had originally postponed a planned meeting with Denmark’s King Frederik X on Wednesday in the Danish capital, but ended up making the trip after all. Mute is scheduled to meet the king at 2 p.m. local time.
Other European policymakers are also drawing lessons on how to read Trump. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that while he doesn’t think the US is becoming imperialist or that Trump will invade Greenland, the incoming president’s comments are a reminder that Europe needs to wake up and become stronger.
“Do I think the US will invade Greenland? The answer is: no. Have we entered an era that’s seeing the return of might makes right? The answer is: yes,” he told France Inter radio on Wednesday. “Should we allow ourselves to be intimidated or overcome by worry, obviously not. Firstly, we need to wake up, strengthen ourselves in a world overtaken by might makes right in terms of military, competitiveness.”
Greenland is home to a US base that’s used to detect missile threats and monitoring space, and the island’s vast stores of critical minerals have drawn interest from global powers including the US, Russia and China.
Greenland, located strategically between the Arctic and the North Atlantic, was even the subject of a famous Danish drama series “Borgen” that explored how a female prime minister navigated all the competing interests.
Frederiksen, a Social Democrat and the youngest premier in Danish history, is known for her strict stance on immigration and harsh rhetoric against Russia. She spearheaded controversial moves including an order to cull 17 million mink during the pandemic.
In response to Trump’s latest missives, Frederiksen has struck a conciliatory tone.
“It is positive that there is a growing American interest in what is happening in the North Atlantic and the Arctic region, because some of the tensions we see in other parts of the world are also starting to come to the Arctic,” she said to Danish broadcaster TV2. “But it will have to happen in a way that is respectful of the Greenlandic people.”
Last time she was in this position she had called his suggestion “absurd.” He called her “nasty.” This time, she’s gone with a different approach — racing to be among the first European leaders to speak with him after his election win.
--With assistance from Christian Wienberg.
(Updates with comments from French foreign minister from 13th paragraph)
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.