President Trump Seeks Talks to Acquire Greenland, UT Austin Expert Notes U.S. History of Buying Territories

January 21, 2026

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Donald Trump said he wants to start negotiations to acquire Greenland from Denmark. He emphasized that any acquisition would not involve military action, and framed the plan as a diplomatic process rather than a coercive move.

The president has raised the idea publicly before, and he brought it up again on the global stage this week. His comments drew immediate attention because Greenland sits in a strategic location in the Arctic and remains an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

I spoke with an expert at the University of Texas at Austin who studies American territorial expansion, and they pointed out that the United States has a history of obtaining land through purchase and diplomacy. That historical pattern, the expert said, provides context for the president's suggestion and helps explain why such proposals continue to surface in U.S. policy debates.

Acquiring Greenland would involve complex legal and diplomatic steps, since the island is part of the Danish realm and its government has its own degree of autonomy. Any move toward transfer would require negotiations with Denmark and would likely spark conversations in Greenland about local consent and governance.

Analysts say the proposal matters for several reasons: it could reshape strategic posture in the Arctic, affect transatlantic ties between the United States and European allies, and set a precedent for how the U.S. approaches sovereignty questions in the region. Observers will be watching how Denmark responds and whether formal talks actually begin.

For now, the president's remarks signal an intent to pursue discussions, while experts remind policymakers and the public that history offers examples of similar transactions. The coming weeks will show whether diplomatic channels open and how Greenlandic and Danish officials address the idea.