Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has accused President Donald Trump of pursuing renewed interest in Greenland in a way that benefits Vladimir Putin, intensifying political and strategic tensions around U.S. policy in the Arctic and raising fresh questions about the implications for NATO cohesion.
Pelosi made the remarks during a televised interview on Jan. 6, 2026, on MSNBC's The Briefing, where she framed Trump's foreign-policy rhetoric as destabilizing to long-standing Western alliances. "What is this? It's insanity," Pelosi said. "I think the reason he's flirting with Greenland and disrupting NATO is to do a favour for his friend, Putin."
Her comments represent one of the most explicit attempts by a senior Democratic figure to link Trump's Arctic ambitions to alleged Russian advantage. Pelosi also criticized what she described as a pattern of foreign-policy distractions, referencing Trump's rhetoric on Cuba, Colombia, Mexico and Greenland, arguing that such moves divert attention from domestic priorities while straining transatlantic cooperation.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland's strategic location and resource potential make it critical to U.S. national security. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, and hosts key Arctic infrastructure near emerging shipping routes and contested military corridors involving Russia and China.
In early 2026, the White House confirmed that the administration was evaluating a range of options to expand U.S. influence in Greenland, including diplomatic engagement and economic arrangements, while emphasizing that force was not the preferred approach. Danish and Greenlandic authorities have rejected any suggestion of a transfer of sovereignty. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has stated that the United States has no right to annex any part of the Danish kingdom.
Russia, meanwhile, has responded cautiously but publicly to Washington's Greenland rhetoric. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was "closely watching" Trump's statements, underscoring the Arctic's importance to Russian strategic planning.
Putin addressed the issue at an Arctic forum in Murmansk in March 2025, describing U.S. interest in Greenland as "serious" rather than theatrical, while adding that the matter "has nothing to do with us" beyond broader regional competition. Analysts have interpreted those remarks as signaling concern over NATO's growing Arctic footprint rather than endorsement of U.S. territorial ambitions.
Pelosi's framing goes further, suggesting intent rather than consequence. She argued that Trump's posture, even absent documented coordination with Moscow, advances Russia's objective of weakening Western unity. No public evidence has emerged showing direct cooperation between Trump and the Kremlin on Greenland policy.
