Trump warns of Chinese warships near Greenland. Is that actually true?

Jan 16, 2026 | 14:57 IST

Illustration: AI

China’s presence in Greenland remains thin. The US fear appears to really be about future leverage — over minerals, infrastructure and Arctic routes — especially as China-Russia ties deepen

Why is US President Donald Trump so eager to take control of Greenland? Is it because of China or Russia, or both? Or is "private interest", as China calls it, the motive?

He brought it up soon after being elected president in 2024-25, and now he's dialled up the rhetoric even further — repeatedly asserting that the Arctic island must come under American control, and going so far as to even suggest that force could be used against North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ally Denmark to stop the Arctic island from slipping into the orbit of China or Russia.

TOI

TOI

Trump warns of Chinese warships near Greenland. Is that actually true?

China’s presence in Greenland remains thin. The US fear appears to really be about future leverage — over minerals, infrastructure and Arctic routes — especially as China-Russia ties deepen

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TOI

Trump warns of Chinese warships near Greenland. Is that actually true?

China’s presence in Greenland remains thin. The US fear appears to really be about future leverage — over minerals, infrastructure and Arctic routes — especially as China-Russia ties deepen

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