Bessent Warns of Impending Arctic Conflict, Says Acquiring Greenland Is Key to U.S. Security
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that acquiring Greenland is not just a long-term goal for President Donald Trump, but an essential piece of U.S. national security strategy as geopolitical tensions escalate in the Arctic.
Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Bessent dismissed the idea that Trump’s push to purchase Greenland is merely a negotiating tactic, instead calling it a necessary move to prepare the country for what he described as an inevitable struggle for control of the Arctic region.
? JUST IN: Sec. Scott Bessent says the weak Europeans MUST hand over Greenland to President Trump
“The fight for the arctic IS REAL! [Make] it part of the US, and there won’t be conflict!”
“Europe projects WEAKNESS. The US projects STRENGTH!” ???pic.twitter.com/ObLneRRJTI
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 18, 2026
“President Trump strongly believes that we cannot outsource our security,” Bessent said. “And let me tell you what will happen — it might not be next year, might not be in five years, but down the road, this fight for the Arctic is real.”
He emphasized that the United States would be drawn into any future conflict involving Greenland under NATO obligations anyway, arguing that full U.S. control would prevent such escalation altogether.
“Make it part of the United States, and there will not be a conflict,” Bessent continued. “Because the United States right now — we are the hottest country in the world; we are the strongest country in the world. Europeans project weakness. U.S. projects strength.”
When asked about Denmark’s repeated insistence that “Greenland is not for sale,” Bessent pointed out that American presidents have eyed the territory for over a century, and that Trump is simply the first to “strategically push for what’s necessary.”
“We’re building the Golden Dome, the missile system,” he said. “President Trump is looking beyond this year, beyond next year — looking at what could happen in a battle for the Arctic. We are not going to outsource our national security.”
Bessent also reminded host Kristen Welker that during Trump’s first term, he warned Europe about its reliance on Russian energy. “And guess what is funding Russia’s efforts against Ukraine?” he asked. “European purchases of Russian oil.”
The Sunday interview comes just one day after President Trump ramped up pressure on Europe by announcing a new wave of tariffs. In a Truth Social post, Trump vowed to impose 10% tariffs on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland starting February 1. If no deal for Greenland is reached, those tariffs will jump to 25% by June.
“Now, after centuries, it is time for Denmark to give back,” Trump wrote. “World Peace is at stake.”
The administration’s push to acquire Greenland — backed by military, economic, and diplomatic pressure — appears to be a centerpiece of Trump’s evolving national security doctrine. While critics in Europe have ridiculed the idea, Bessent made clear the administration sees the island not as a novelty but as a critical front in the growing competition with Russia and China.