Col. Alok Mathur, SM (Veteran)
North American Aerospace Command (NORAD) task force has landed on 21 January 2026 at Pituffik Air base in Greenland on a joint exercise with clearance from the Danish Air Force. NORAD is a joint US-Canada space command which employs a network of space based aerial assets, including sensors, combat aircrafts, air to air refuels to detect, deter and defend hostile air threats. USA has confirmed that it is a friendly routine mobilisation to check operational readiness. NATO chief had made no comments so far.
Meanwhile, US President landed safely on 22 January 2026 in Davos in a stand by Aircraft as Air Force 1 had to return to Washington DC after it developed a minor electrical defect. He was in Switzerland to address a session in World Economic Forum (WEF), which is a think tank based in Geneva. The forum meetings are held annually. More than 60 heads of the state and 150 delegates including a team from India led by cabinet minister Ashwini Vaishnav are attending the session. WEF takes on issues of Global conflict, climate change, economic challenges and focuses on peaceful solutions. The composition of Gaza Peace Board will be presented for approval. The forum had a hot debate on sovereignty of Greenland and the future of NATO.
President Donald Trump has been advocating taking over of Greenland by US since beginning of Trump 2.0 innings. He said before boarding for Davos that we want this piece of Ice for protection of the world.
This enormous unsecured island is actually a part of North America. US would provide the Golden Dome security shield from a Northern threat and act as an advance post to cover Greenland, Iceland, UK gap (GIUK) gap of 700 kms in North Atlantic Ocean from where SSBNs of Russia and China may infiltrate with Nukes.
The transatlantic relations between US and its European partners in NATO remain tense over his threat to takeover Greenland. Trump has also threatened 10 % tariff on eight European countries (France, Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherland and Finland) if they oppose his proposal on Greenland. For the first time after World War 2, Europe and United States seem to be drifting apart where as China and Russia are getting closer. What a paradox?
Greenland is the World’s largest ice-capped island and lies between Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It is an autonomous territory under the kingdom of Denmark, which has three parts. Mainland, Faroe Islands and largest Greenland almost touching northern Canada. Initially Greenland was a territory of Norway. It became a Danish colony in 1380 and became integral part of Denmark officially in 1953. It was granted full autonomy in 1983 and has its own governing council. With these old Greenlandic names were reintroduced. Greenland is now called ‘Kalaallit Nunaat’ by locals. The old capital Godthab is now ‘Nuuk’, which is located in the South Western tip of Greenland.
The total area of Greenland is 2 million square km with coastline of 44,087 km. The population is just 57,728. The capital of Greenland (Nuuk) is 3200 kms from Copenhagen (Denmark) whereas Iceland, which is nearest European land mass is just 320 Kms away.
Historical evidences suggest that Greenland was home to Palaeo-Inuit clans from 2500 BC to1300 BC, which was replaced by Saqqaq culture which lasted till 800 BC. The nomads inhabited the south-western region and hunted bear, seal and fox. Reindeers and Dogs were used as means of transport. Dorset people appeared in south and Thule tribes were found in North Greenland.
During 1 AD, Icelanders and Norwegian sailors under Captain Red Erik, approached the southern and western region and established three settlements on Fjords. Dorsets in north and Thule in south were tamed by the armed Europeans. These mixed groups were called Norse. Norway troops occupied Norse settlements in 1261. Kingdom of Norway entered into a Union with Denmark in 1380. Greenland also came under King of Denmark and become part of the Kalmar Union in 1396. Due to extreme cold conditions and plague, Norse and Dorset settlements in North became extinct. South settlements of Thule origin region survived the famines.
King Manuel 1 of Portugal was the first to send an expedition in 1500 under Corte real, which found everything frozen and headed south. He found Labrador and Newfoundland but he made the first map of Greenland. King Chirstian lV of Denmark sent a series of expedition to Northern region in 1605-07 under English explorer James Hall to locate the Norse people but found no one.
In 1721, a joint Danish and Norwegian mission under a missionary, Hans Egede and his son Paul, reached Greenland, spent 15 years there, and established the Greenland seminary at Godthab (Good hope) to convert the Norse locals. They created the original a colony. The Danes permitted only Danish traders and soon established total control.
In 1841, the treaty of crowns between Denmark and Norway was dissolved at Kiel. Greenland came under the jurisdiction of Denmark. Norway occupied Northern Greenland in 1931 but was debarred by International Court and compelled to withdraw.
During World War 2, As Nazi Germany invaded France, Belgium and Denmark, United States occupied Greenland on 8 April 1941 to defend it from possible invasion of German forces. Americans established Air three bases namely Blue East at Nuuk, Blue West 1 at Narsarsuaq and Blue West 2 at Sondre Stormford. USA ruled the area through a Governor. These Airports are still active. Americans troops and Greenlanders jointly took actions against German weather stations and intrusions. Keeping in view its strategic location, USA offered USD 100 million in 1946 for purchase of Greenland, which was firmly declined by Denmark.
Subsequently, after negotiations, USA and Denmark signed the Greenland Défense Agreement in 1951 which allowed the USA to maintain Military bases in Greenland and also allowed NATO to join at these bases. United States developed Thule as the main Military Base and shifted the local population far away. They converted it in to a nuclear weapons launch base under Project Ice warm and also based B 52 Strategic bombers there. There was a major Air crash of a B 52 bomber carrying H bombs in 1968. The accident caused loss of Bombs and high radiation.
After disintegration of the USSR, US lost interest in Greenland waned. The project was abandoned. Danish Government was not aware of this project till 1998.
In 1953, Greenland status as a colony was removed and it became an integral part of Denmark. The movement of Independence also continued since 1973. After referendum in 1979. Greenland was given more autonomy but defence, external affairs and minerals wee controlled by Denmark. On 21 June 2009, Greenland achieved self-rule but defence, foreign affairs still remained with Denmark. Canada is the closest neighbour in Southwest of Greenland. There was a dispute on a small island called Hans Island. It was amicably solved in 2022 as Hans Island was divided equally between Denmark and Canada.
President Trump inn his first tenure also had Greenland on his wish list but did not have much support from his own Republicans. During Biden presidency, the project was shelved i. As President Trump bounced back with thumping majority, he renewed his campaign to either purchase Greenland or invade /annex it. The European Union and NATO members are shocked.
Denmark is member of NATO. Trump had warned eight European countries with heavy tariffs if they oppose his move. There was a stiff resistance from major European partners of NATO on the proposal of President Trump to purchase Greenland and make it apart of United States.
There were also violent verbal reactions. French President Emmanuel Macron has out-rightly termed it as unacceptable and said that threat and intimidation tactics will be challenged. British PM Kier Strammer also criticised the US intentions and tariff threat as insane. Mette Frederiksen, the Danish PM termed it as Blackmail.
President Trump during his address reviewed his stand and announced that the 10% Tariff proposal is shelved. He also committed that there will no military option or force used. But he stated with certainty that Denmark is no position to defend Greenland. He would wait and watch. Meanwhile, EU Commission President, Ursula Von Der Leyen, told reporters that the US has been engaged firmly but non escalatory. EU council president Antonio Costa said the need was to manage the relationship with cordiality and mutual respect. EU trade deal with US on Free Trade was also put on hold.
The Group of Eight have launched Operation Arctic Endurance and have reinforced Danish forces at Greenland. Nato Chief Mark Rutte said that he had spoken to US President that these EU troops pose no threat to anyone but were a security exercise for the isolated arctic. US President Donald Trump had assessed the firestorm from European allies of NATO and has postponed his Greenland adventure but he has made up his mind.
President Putin made a statement that Greenland ownership was not their concern and both nations US and Denmark should settle the issue between themselves. Russia will not object to any deal. He recalled Russia in 1867 sold Alaska to USA for 7.2 billion USD setting a precedence. USA had purchased Virgin Islands from Denmark for 25 million Gold in 1917 to make a strategic Naval base in World War 1. Gwadar port was purchased by Pakistan from Oman. Hong Kong was on 99 years lease by China to UK but now taken back. UK and Mauritius also have signed a deal for Diego Garcia base in Chagos islands, Indian Ocean.
The People Republic of China has conveyed that they had no military intentions and interest in the region. NATO Chief had a meeting with US President on the side lines of WEF and agreed for the deployment of US troops in Greenland and tariff of 10% has been suspended, but it remains a semiautonomous part of Denmark as on date. Greenland is not for sale so far but present day but POTUS is an unpredictable cowboy on prowl.