Question: Does the USA need Greenland?

Does the USA NEED Greenland: probably, maybe, or probably not?

• Probably: The USA needs Greenland for geopolitical and economic reasons.

(1) Defense…

Greenland is geographically positioned to help defend the United States of America against Russia and China. It could also serve to protect the USA against potential incursions from current allies within the European Union or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Lastly, ballistic missiles launched over the territory and towards the United States could be more efficiently and effectively deterred or eliminated if the USA owned Greenland.

(2) Economics…

• China currently leads the world in the production of rare earth metals…

Rare earth elements are crucial for products like electronic vehicle motors, wind turbines, smartphones, lasers, and other advancing technologies. Demand for rare earth elements has skyrocketed over the past 60 years. See this article for an excellent summary of rare earth elements: https://www.portaspecs.com/rare-earth-elements-the-most-critical-and-strategic-elements-on-the-planet/.

• Maybe: The United States may need Greenland for strategic growth and defense.

If you are of the opinion that the United States does not need the access to Greenland’s land or reserves of oil and rare earth elements to adequately defend itself and grow its economy, you are not alone. Many people see the recent rhetoric from the Trump Administration as reckless at best. The U.S. is already the third largest country by square kilometers. If the United States were to acquire Greenland, it would have 12,032,718 square kilometers of land and surpass Canada as the second largest nation in the world by total area (List of the World’s Largest Countries and Dependencies by Area, 2026).

Area of Countries in Square Kilometers
Country:	Square Kilometers:
Russia	17,075,400
Canada	9,968,242
United States1	9,866,632
China	9,572,900
Brazil	8,510,418
Australia	7,688,126
India	3,287,263
Kazakhstan	2,724,900
Argentina	2,704,789
Algeria	2,381,741
Democratic Republic of the Congo	2,345,000
Greenland	2,166,086

List of the World’s Largest Countries and Dependencies by Area (2026)

It’s possible that another country (e.g. China, Russia) or group of countries (e.g. European Union) could seek to seize Greenland to develop its resources and use its land for its own strategic advantage. The United States may be seeking to beat its rivals, including the European Union, to this potential outcome. But, what if it doesn’t need to?

• Probably not: The U.S. economy might benefit from owning Greenland, but does not require it to thrive.

The United States has a robust alliance with Canada and the European Union. If that alliance were to fall apart, it would not only potentially impede the acquisition of Greenland but also imperil the defense of Alaska. If the United States is seriously considering a hostile takeover of Denmark’s arctic territory, it will not only further erode the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but could also heighten border tensions with the most important strategic ally of the United States, Canada.

So, does the USA need Greenland: probably, maybe, or probably not? Probably not.

The USA may want Greenland for strategic defense and precious resources, but it does not need to acquire the territory to survive or thrive. A more diplomatic approach to the territory is to respect its sovereignty and support continued integration with Denmark or a pathway to complete independence. Regardless, as a NATO member, Greenland is already integrated into the geopolitical alliance and strategic defense infrastructure supporting and surrounding the United States. A hostile takeover of Greenland is not just unnecessary, it’s dangerous.

Sources:

Admin, W. (2024, July 23). Rare Earth Elements: The most critical and strategic elements on the planet. Portable Spectral Services. https://www.portaspecs.com/rare-earth-elements-the-most-critical-and-strategic-elements-on-the-planet/

Fleck, A. (2025, April 14). Where are the world’s rare earths? Statista Daily Data. https://www.statista.com/chart/33754/countries-with-the-greatest-known-reserves-of-rare-earths/

List of the world’s largest countries and dependencies by area. (2026, January 9). https://www.britannica.com/. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-the-total-areas-of-the-worlds-countries-dependencies-and-territories-2130540