The administration of the US President Donald Trump has decided to abandon plans to seize Greenland due to the possible threat of impeachment.
Reuters reports this, citing sources.
In early January, the US president and White House officials did not rule out the possibility of using force to seize Greenland, raising growing concerns in Congress.
Politicians from both parties have expressed concern that Trump could carry out a military operation on the island without Congressional approval, in a scenario similar to the one in Venezuela.
Lawmakers have called Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior White House officials to call off the idea, with some Republicans warning that a US invasion of Greenland could lead to impeachment of the president.
USA and Greenland
In December 2024, the US President Donald Trump declared that “possession and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for US national security. He has since repeated his desire to acquire the island.
In response, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called on the US president to “stop the threats”. Denmark has decided to significantly increase defense spending on the island, and the country’s Foreign Ministry has launched a “night watch” to monitor Donald Trump’s statements and actions while Copenhagen sleeps.
On January 13, 2025, Republican Congressman Randy Fine introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives that would annex Greenland and grant it the status of the 51st US state.
Trump said that the United States needs Greenland to create a "golden dome" and stressed that NATO should facilitate this. NBC News reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has already been instructed to prepare a proposal to purchase the island. Experts have estimated that this could cost the United States $700 billion.
After further threats from the US president, Denmark decided to send additional equipment and troops to Greenland "in connection with training activities" with the participation of European partners.
In response, Trump reported that starting in February he would impose tariffs on eight countries that had sent troops to Greenland. In addition to Denmark, these include Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland.
On January 21, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump emphasized that no country or group of countries other than the United States is able to guarantee the security of Greenland, and called it "part of North America" and "US territory".
Later, Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte agreed on a framework agreement on Greenland and the Arctic. After that, the US president refused to impose tariffs against the EU.
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