Is U.S. Control of Limited Territory in Greenland A Strategic Necessity?

Open to Debate

Education, News, Society & Culture

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 6 February 2026

⏱️ 52 minutes

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Summary

Greenland has become a geopolitical flashpoint. President Trump wants control of it, or at least sovereignty over some areas for military purposes, arguing that the United States gaining some territorial rights in Greenland is a necessity for U.S. security. But some leaders worry that a power grab could pit NATO against the U.S. and weaken an already fragile world order. Now we debate: Is U.S. Control of Limited Territory In Greenland a Strategic Necessity? Arguing Yes: Alexander B. Gray, Senior Fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council; Former Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff of the White House National Security Council Michael Pillsbury, Senior Advisor for the President’s Office at The Heritage Foundation Arguing No: Kori Schake, Senior Fellow and the Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Max Boot, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; Columnist at The Washington Post Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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0:33.4	This is open to debate. I'm John Donvan. President Trump wants Greenland. He wants the U.S. to own it.
0:40.0	He has offered to buy it. He has hinted at taking it by use of force. And then he has walked that back after Davos. But there are strategic parts he is not letting go. The pressure campaign continues.
0:51.6	American control of some territory in Greenland, he says, is psychologically
0:55.6	important. All of this has set off a storm of astonishment and worry, certainly among America's
1:01.0	NATO allies, because the nation that owns Greenland, Denmark is a member of NATO, the alliance
1:05.5	that the U.S. has led for 76 years. Denmark does not intend to sacrifice its sovereignty.
1:13.0	But some experienced strategic thinkers say what the president wants is not beyond reason, that there is a thoughtful case to be made for
1:18.5	U.S. control of at least some parts of Greenland. Two of them are about to join this debate.
1:23.6	They will face two equally qualified people also taking on the stage to prove them wrong.
1:28.3	We're at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, our partner in this episode,
1:32.0	to witness the arguments around this question, is U.S. control of limited territory in Greenland
1:37.2	a strategic necessity? Let's meet our debaters. First on the side, answering yes to this question.
1:43.5	I want to welcome Alexander B. Gray.
1:45.7	Alexander served at the White House for four years, most recently as chief of staff of the National
1:49.8	Security Council and deputy assistant to President Trump. He's now a senior fellow at the American
1:54.6	Foreign Policy Council. Hi, Alexander, welcome to the program. Thank you, I mean. You are a fourth
1:59.1	generation, Oklahoma, and I understand. How are you liking these East Coast winters? Nothing compared to tornado program. Thanks, ma'am. You are a fourth-generation Oklahoma, I understand.
	...

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