The Pentagon plans to move its oversight of Greenland from U.S. European Command to U.S. Northern Command, a switch that would bring the Denmark-aligned island closer to alignment with the United States.
The change, first reported by Politico, comes as President Trump has repeatedly expressed an interest in taking control of the autonomous territory, where the U.S. military houses a base. Trump on the campaign trail and after taking office has said the U.S. taking control Greenland is a national security issue.
Shifting the responsibility for U.S. security interests in Greenland to Northcom, the military command that oversees America’s homeland defense, would largely be symbolic but underscores Trump’s focus on the territory.
The move could come as soon as this week, a Defense Department official and two people familiar with the planning told Politico.
The Pentagon did not return a request for comment from The Hill.
Reports first emerged last month that the Trump administration was mulling the move as Greenland is part of the North American continent, even as it is associated with Europe politically and culturally given it is a semiautonomous territory of Denmark.
Trump in his first term floated the notion of buying Greenland, but in his second term has doubled down on the idea. He has declined to rule out using military force in taking the island.
“I don’t rule it out. I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule out anything,” Trump said in a May 4 interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“We need Greenland very badly,” he added. “Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of and we’ll cherish them and all of that. But we need that for international security.”
The change, first reported by Politico, comes as President Trump has repeatedly expressed an interest in taking control of the autonomous territory, where the U.S. military houses a base. Trump on the campaign trail and after taking office has said the U.S. taking control Greenland is a national security issue.
Shifting the responsibility for U.S. security interests in Greenland to Northcom, the military command that oversees America’s homeland defense, would largely be symbolic but underscores Trump’s focus on the territory.
The move could come as soon as this week, a Defense Department official and two people familiar with the planning told Politico.
The Pentagon did not return a request for comment from The Hill.
Reports first emerged last month that the Trump administration was mulling the move as Greenland is part of the North American continent, even as it is associated with Europe politically and culturally given it is a semiautonomous territory of Denmark.
Trump in his first term floated the notion of buying Greenland, but in his second term has doubled down on the idea. He has declined to rule out using military force in taking the island.
“I don’t rule it out. I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule out anything,” Trump said in a May 4 interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“We need Greenland very badly,” he added. “Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of and we’ll cherish them and all of that. But we need that for international security.”
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