Donroe at Davos. The “Donroe” Doctrine, christened as such by President Donald Trump, has arrived at the World Economic Forum hosted in Davos. The President, emboldened by his successful capture of Venezuelan President Nícholas Maduro, sets his sights on total hegemony over the North American continent and maintains that Greenland is a pivotal part of his stratagem. Years of statements that began in Trump’s first term about acquiring Greenland were laughed off as jokes—in the past few weeks, these jokes have suddenly become very real.
Among a suite of retaliatory actions, the United States has threatened to ignite a trade war with E.U. countries that send military aid to support NATO ally Denmark, which maintains sovereignty over the semi-autonomous territory of Greenland. An attack upon Greenland, some European leaders have threatened, would mean the end of NATO as a collective security agreement. Donroe now deals at the World Economic Forum in Davos, as markets, allies, and domestic opposition wait for the President’s next move.
A Running Fixation
The President’s fixation on Greenland is not a novel idea pursued in his second term, but was rather a recurring assertion dating back to his first. On Sunday, August 18th, 2019, the President first publicly flirted with the idea of acquiring Greenland: likening it to a “real estate deal” that would have “interesting” strategic implications for the United States. There was no sense of urgency then to pursue an agreement, as Trump said that it was definitely not “No.1 on the burner, I can tell you that.” After his public flirtation with the idea, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the idea “absurd,” and the government of Greenland firmly stated that the territory was “not for sale.” Trump then canceled a state visit hosted by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in protest.
In 2020, the idea had a brief resurgence amid the COVID-19 crisis, when the Trump administration announced a $12 million aid package to encourage economic development in Greenland. The move was designed to act as a counterbalance to increasing encroachment on the territory by both Russia and China. The idea would lie dormant again until after the President won re-election in 2024, after spending four years in political exile.
On December 24th, 2024, the President-elect announced Ken Howery as ambassador to Denmark, and in this Truth Social announcement, Trump declared that total “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” The President reiterated his newfound resolve in a March 2025 address to a joint session of Congress, where he said, “one way or another, we’re going to get it [Greenland].” There was an early indication that the President may not decline the use of force to achieve his ends.
In the midst of planning for Operation Absolute Resolve on December 22nd, 2025, the President appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a special envoy to annex Greenland. After Absolute Resolve concluded, Stephen Miller went on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper to assert that Greenland should “obviously” be part of the United States. By any means necessary. Tensions would only explode from here.
Trump’s Rationale
The President’s rationale for acquiring Greenland cannot be clearly traced to a single factor: the allure of its size, historical grandeur, access to trading routes newly affected by climate change, and the affirmation of the U.S. sphere of influence all feed into his calculation. For the President, bigger does mean better, and Greenland is no small island. Measuring 2.17 million square miles, it is more than triple the size of Texas and 25% larger than Alaska, the largest state. The President has wondered at its size on the map and has said that the United States has “got to have it.”
As the self-proclaimed “dealmaker in chief,” the President has viewed Greenland as a longstanding deal that the United States has failed to close. The idea of acquiring the territory dates back to the Andrew Johnson administration, when Secretary of State William H. Seward floated the idea of purchasing Greenland as a natural extension of the deal he had recently closed, the acquisition of Alaska from Russia. Sentiments turned sour, as for many Americans, Greenland would just be another Alaska: little more than an “ice box.” Appetite for Greenland rose again in 1941, when Greenland was made a de facto United States protectorate by a decree of the Danish envoy, in defiance of orders from the Nazi-controlled Danish government.
The onset of the Cold War brought Greenland to the forefront of strategic concerns when relations with the Soviets were icy: the Truman administration offered to buy Greenland for $100 million in gold, but the request was met with an outright refusal. Trump views this as a deal left half-finished, but the opening opportunities in both trade routes and rare minerals make the bargain far more appealing.
Climate change in Greenland has increased the rate of melting of the ice sheet, which covers more than 80% of the island. The challenges associated with this rapid melt include a potential increase in sea level by more than 20 feet—the consequences are devastating but also profitable. Under the ice sheet, there is a vast swath of rare-earth materials; a 2023 survey by the European Commission found that “24 of 35” minerals deemed “critical raw materials” were present there. Former National Security Advisor Michael Walz stated that the President’s interest in Greenland was related to rare earths, but the President has denied this assertion. Shipping routes are highly relevant to the President.
The Northern Sea Route (NSR) runs along the Arctic coast of Russia; it is closed for most of the year, but melting ice has revealed new opportunities. Compared with the Suez Canal, the NSR could cut maritime travel between East Asia and Western Europe by 10-15 days. The Northwest Passage (NWP) offers similar benefits. Having such an advantage in potentially controlling these shipping routes would undoubtedly provide a boon in pressing the “Donroe Doctrine.” With Greenland in hand, the President could potentially expel foreign actors in Russia and China and exert his standing as the sole hegemon on the North American continent.
Denmark and Greenland
Both the governments in Copenhagen and Nuuk want nothing to do with the deal. As tensions have risen, the Danes point to a 1951 Cold War agreement. The Defense of Greenland Act gives the United States the right to “instruct, maintain, and operate” military bases in Greenland with Denmark’s approval. A 2004 addendum adds an additional step of approval with Greenland’s government. Despite this free hand, the United States only has one active base: the Pituffik Space Base. The number of active bases reached 13 during the Cold War.
The President thinks a free hand is not free enough.
President Trump, in an interview with The New York Times, said that the treaties were not enough.”Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document.”
Denmark has warned that an attack on its territory would mean the effective dissolution of NATO under Article 5; an attack on one is an attack on all.
Donroe at Davos
The President struck a belligerent tone coming into Davos. He threatened to levy a 10% tariff beginning on February 1st, to rise to 25% on June 1st, against eight European Union countries opposing his takeover of Greenland. A day before going to Davos, the President posted private messages from both NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and French President Emmanuel Macron, vowing there was “no going back.” President Macron explicitly told him, “I do not understand what you are doing with Greenland.”
A flurry of concerns emerged as Trump began to deliver his speech in Davos—he reiterated the need for Greenland, but dropped military action as a recourse to achieve his ends. European leaders combed through the necessary information about Greenland, amid a flurry of volleys by the President against topics like windmills, Joe Biden, election fraud, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
With the conclusion of Davos, the President and Mark Rutte have reached a “framework” deal for the acquisition of Greenland, though by Thursday evening, nothing had been committed to paper. The President has also dropped his tariff threat amid the announcement of this “framework.” It remains to be seen if the deal significantly differs from the 1951 status quo or the President’s dream will remain a dream.
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