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US, Denmark Form Working Group Amid Greenland Dispute
Does America need to pursue Greenland for national security and rare earths, or does respecting its autonomy strengthen NATO alliances?
Above: Jesper Møller Sørensen, Danish ambassador to the U.S., at the Danish Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 14. Image credit: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
Pursuing a closer bond with Greenland boosts U.S. security by securing rare earth metals and countering Russian moves in the Arctic. International law supports this since Greenland can choose association with the U.S. through a referendum, fitting precedents like Puerto Rico or free association deals. And threatening tariffs is just part of the art of the deal, giving the U.S. leverage it has every right to use.
Anti-Trump narrative
Greenland stays firmly under Denmark as its people reject any shift toward the U.S. Deploying more NATO troops underscores the commitment to defend against such overreach, while stalled talks highlight the dead end of forced ownership. Respecting Greenland's choice will strengthen NATO and curb President Trump's reckless aggression, as he now brazenly threatens allies with tariffs.