At a press conference At his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Tuesday, United States President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his desire to buy Greenland, which he said is vital to America's national security.
The Republican Party leader, who is due to be elected on January 20, has refused to rule out the use of military or economic power to achieve the goal of annexing Denmark's self-governing territory.
Mr. Trump also said that he wants to make Canada the 51st country of the US and take control Panama Canalas part of his push to expand US territory, since win elections in November.
So why does Trump want to get Greenland – the territory that it is 80 percent were covered in the snow and more than 3,000km (1,864 miles) from the US capital, Washington, DC? Is this the first time the US is trying to find Greenland?
Where is Greenland? What is his role?
Located between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, Greenland is the largest island in the world and part of North America. Although Australia is very large and surrounded by water, it is not considered an island because it is a continent.
Greenland is home to about 56,000 people, mostly The Inuit people.
Its capital, Nuuk, is closer to New York (2,900km or 1,800 miles) than Copenhagen, which is 3,500km (2,174 miles) to the east.
The island was under Danish rule from the beginning of the 18th century until 1979, when it became an autonomous region. Since 2009, Greenland has the right to declare its independence through a referendum.
Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede has asked Denmark to stand on its own.
The Arctic Islands are one of Denmark's two sovereign territories, the other being the Faroe Islands.
Since Denmark is part of NATOGreenland is part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Greenland is not a member of the European Union, but it is associated with it as one of the 25 overseas countries and territories (OCTs) of the EU. “OCT nationals are EU citizens,” EU law website he says. Therefore, Greenlanders are considered EU citizens.
In 1973, Greenland joined the European Community with Denmark which is now defunct, but left in 1985. The EU has replaced the European Community.
The EU did not respond to Trump's recent comments.
How will Greenland and Denmark react to Trump's threats?
On December 23, Trump in a post on his Truth Social media platform said “ownership and control of Greenland is very important”.
To this, the Prime Minister-elect of Greenland Egede said that the island is not for sale. “Greenland is ours. We are not selling and will not be selling. We must not lose our long-term struggle for freedom,” Egede said in a statement.
The Danish government has announced it will increase Greenland's defense spending to $1.5bn following Trump's desire to annex the independent island.
On Tuesday, the visit of his son Donald Trump Jr. to Greenland, the US President-elect also wrote on his Social Truth platform: “Greenland is a wonderful place, and people will benefit greatly if, and when, it becomes part of our country.” …
Following Trump's recent comments, Egede met with Danish King Frederik X in Copenhagen on Wednesday, but details of the meeting have not been made public.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders”, while Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the island had no intention of becoming a US state.
Why does Trump want Greenland?
This is not the first time Trump has expressed his desire to control the island, which is home to the US military. Trump canceled his trip to Copenhagen after Denmark, a close US ally, rejected his offer to buy the island during his first term.
Greenland provides the shortest route from North America to Europe. This gives the US the upper hand in its military and early warning systems.
The US has expressed interest in expanding its military presence in Greenland by installing radars in the waters connecting Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom. These waters are an access route for Russian and Chinese ships, which Washington wants to follow.
The island is also rich in minerals, including rare minerals used in batteries and high-tech industries.
According to the 2023 study, 25 of the 34 stones recognized as “very important” by the European Commission were found in Greenland.
Greenland does not extract oil and gas, and its mining sector is opposed by its own people. The island's economy is largely dependent on its fishing industry.
Has the US tried to buy Greenland before?
Yes. The US has been showing interest in Greenland.
The US considered buying Greenland at least twice, including in 1867 and then in 1946, when President Harry S Truman proposed a $100m purchase. Denmark declined the offer.
In 1867, the US bought Alaska from Russia. After this, US Secretary of State William H Seward tried to negotiate the purchase of Greenland from Russia, but the attempt failed.
The US annexed Greenland in 1941 following Nazi Germany's invasion of Denmark during World War II. It established a military and radio station on the island and the American military has been stationed at Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, in northwest Greenland ever since.
When Greenland was still a Danish country in 1946, Truman bought the island for $100m, which Denmark refused. This was done in Cold War secrecy and was only revealed in 1991 in an Associated Press report.
Mercator Chart: How big is Greenland?
Some maps of the world today can be misleading as to the actual size of Greenland. The Arctic Ocean is 2.17 million square kilometers (836,330 square miles), making it almost three times the size of the US state of Texas.
However, the Danish sector is known to be large based on maps. This is because today's maps use a template called Mercator projectioncreated by the European cartographer Geert de Kremer in 1569. Some people are criticized for distorting the geographical distribution.
On the Mercator map, Greenland is shown to be about the same size as Africa. However, in reality, 14 Greenlands may be inside Africa.
Why did Trump's son visit Greenland?
Trump's son Donald Trump Jr arrived in Greenland the second. Greenland's government said Mr Trump Jr was visiting the island “as a private individual”, and Greenland representatives would not meet him.
Despite this, Trump went to his Social Truth stage on Monday, writing: “I hear the people of Greenland are 'MAGA'”, referring to the Make America Great Again movement.
“My son, Don Jr, and various representatives, will go there to see some very beautiful places.
“Greenland is an amazing place, and people will benefit greatly if, and when, it becomes part of our country,” Trump added. “We will protect it, and love it, from the worst outside world.”
What happened to the world?
Trump's recent comments have angered some European leaders.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized Trump's decision on Wednesday. “Borders should not be moved by force. This principle applies to all countries, whether in the East or the West,” he wrote on his X account.
“Discussing with our European friends, there is confusion about what has been said recently from the US. It is clear: We must stand together.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told national radio on Wednesday that “there is no question that the EU will allow other countries in the world, whoever they may be… to attack its borders.”