Former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, Carla Sands, confidently stated her belief that President Donald Trump will have some form of control over Greenland by the end of his second term. In an interview with the Daily Mail, she predicted that Greenland might become akin to Puerto Rico—a U.S. territory with certain rights and representation but under American security. Sands acknowledged that Trump’s comments had stirred discontent in Denmark and Greenland, but emphasized that his aim was to challenge the existing order.

Sands elaborated, “Suddenly, anything is possible, because the paradigm has shifted, the window has shifted, and what is impossible becomes possible.” At the Davos economic forum on Wednesday, Trump unveiled a preliminary “framework” for U.S. access to Greenland, which included halting tariff threats against Denmark and NATO allies after weeks of heightened tensions. The island holds strategic importance due to its Arctic position, rare earth minerals, and potential military bases, crucial for countering Russia and China as melting ice opens new pathways. Trump emphasized its necessity for NATO security, despite Denmark’s reluctance to sell. According to Sands, U.S. control would be advantageous for Greenland.

“The United States will aid in development, providing infrastructure that Greenland desires, potentially leading to increased prosperity and reducing its welfare state-like conditions,” Sands asserted. Following discussions with NATO officials at Davos, Trump claimed to have secured “total access” to Greenland without financial costs. He told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, “We’re going to have all the military access we want. We’ll be able to place our necessities on Greenland because it’s a matter of national and international security.” Sands noted that during Trump’s first term, there were already discussions among Greenland residents about seeking independence from Denmark.

But as soon as the Danes began to fear for the future of their hold of the Arctic territory, the government began what she describes as a fierce propaganda effort to frighten the populace from considering independence. Sands accused the Danish government of running a ‘psyop’ campaign in Greenland to ramp up opposition to the United States. ‘The people in Greenland are now so terrified of the United States. We are now the boogeyman because of what Denmark has done over the last year … these poor people, and they’re, you know, they’re not used to this kind of pressure,’ she said. Polling on the issue, she said, was incredibly biased as many of the polls were conducted by Danish universities and the Danes.

But even many Americans are not enthusiastic about acquiring Greenland, according to recent polling, even as the president’s attention on the issue has escalated. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that just 17 percent of Americans were supportive of the idea with 47 percent against. Thirty-six percent said they were unsure. But the leaders of Greenland and Denmark have long been upset by the idea, Sands said, citing the aftermath of the White House meeting between Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. ‘They understand there’s going to be a process, but they don’t like it,’ Sands said. ‘They don’t agree. So President Trump will use the tools that he needs and the pressure he needs to get done whatever deal he thinks needs to get done.’

Sands cited the prime minister of Denmark’s false promise to President Trump to build up security in Greenland to bolster its defense as one reason that he no longer took Denmark’s leaders seriously. ‘Denmark is like a parent that’s abusing their child. So they’re very torn in Greenland,’ she said. ‘They don’t know what to do they, and they don’t have any experience in stress like this.’ Trump’s renewed focus on Greenland comes as the Arctic has become a front-line geopolitical issue, with the U.S., Russia and China competing over shipping lanes, mineral resources and missile-defence positioning. Greenland hosts a critical U.S. military base and sits astride emerging Arctic routes, giving Washington a strong strategic interest in its future.

The president kicked of the new year with a renewed focus on the United States control over Greenland, angering European allies and even threatening the future of the NATO alliance after he refused to rule out using the military to take it from Denmark. But he ultimately walked back his more dramatic threats of military force. Sands predicted that Trump would continue to use a number of diplomatic tools to acquire Greenland, including the use of economic tariffs. ‘I always thought of soft power in different ways, … but trade, it’s like somewhere in that gray zone of of friendly coercion that is brilliant,’ she said.