Chuck Munns, Denmark/Greenland
Since 2025, the second Donald Trump administration of the United States has sought to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark (itself in the European Union),[a] triggering an ongoing international diplomatic crisis. This escalated in early 2026[3][4] after Trump refused to rule out the use of military force to annex Greenland[5][6][7] and threatened a 25% import tax on goods from several European nations unless Denmark ceded Greenland.[8][9][10] Trump’s statements sparked a confrontation with Denmark and the EU (supported by several other NATO members), reigniting earlier concerns of a US–EU trade war. On 21 January, Trump reversed his position at the 2026 Davos conference, pledging not to use force or tariffs to annex Greenland.[11][12]
Trump had unsuccessfully tried to purchase Greenland during his first presidency.[13] After his 2024 re-election, in January 2026, he said “it may be a choice” whether to preserve NATO or seize Greenland,[7] and in a text message leaked by the Norwegian Prime Minister, Trump had said that he “no longer [felt] an obligation to think purely of Peace” after not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.[6][14][15] A report by the Danish Defence Intelligence Service mentioned the United States (US) as a potential threat to national security for the first time in its history,[16][17] and Danish officials raised concerns about reports that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard had assigned agents to spy on Greenland