Between Washington and Copenhagen: Greenland, the Faroes, and the Future of the Danish Realm

• Why does Donald J. Trump want to own Greenland?
• What is the historical origin of American interest in Greenland?
• How have the Danish and Greenlandic governments handled the pressure from Washington?
• Why is military activity increasing in the Faroe Islands area?
• What significance do rising geopolitical tensions have for the self-governance processes in Greenland and the Faroe Islands?

These are some of the questions addressed in a new policy brief from the University of the Faroe Islands, which has just been published.

When this policy brief was finalised in March 2026, general elections had just been held in the Faroes and in Denmark, and ongoing negotiations on the formation of new governments were taking place in both countries.

However, regardless of what parties will form future coalitions, the current challenges facing the Kingdom of Denmark remain intact. The dispute between the US, Greenland and Denmark over the ownership of Greenland is marked by uncertainty and has formally been assigned to a diplomatic US-Greenlandic-Danish working group behind closed doors. 

After the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos in late January 2026, the US President has downscaled his rhetoric. However, developments in contemporary world politics are shifting at a rapid pace, and new developments in the US-Denmark-Greenland crisis may very well occur in the near future. 

Therefore, this policy brief is a snapshot of present challenges facing the three nations within the Kingdom of Denmark, which, nevertheless, may contribute to improving our general understanding of the dynamics shaping the future of Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Denmark.

Read the report in English here.