After a heated phone call with Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen last week, who firmly declared that Greenland is not for sale, US President Donald Trump reignited his controversial ambition to acquire the autonomous Danish territory, claiming that the island’s 57,000 residents “want to be with us.”
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump declared, “I think we’re going to have it,” framing the purchase as a matter of international security and global freedom.
“I don’t really know what claim Denmark has to it, but it would be a very unfriendly act if they didn’t allow that to happen because it’s for the protection of the free world,” BBC quoted the US President as saying.
He went on to assert that the US is uniquely positioned to safeguard Greenland’s future, adding, “It has nothing to do with the United States other than that we’re the one that can provide the freedom. They can’t.”
During a fiery 45-minute phone call with Trump last week, Danish PM Frederiksen who has previously stated that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders,” dismissed any possibility of selling the territory, despite acknowledging the US’s strategic interest in the region. She also asserted that only Greenland’s people could decide the territory’s future.
Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, occupies a pivotal position between North America and Europe, making it a key asset in Arctic geopolitics. The island is home to a major US space facility and boasts untapped natural resources, including rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron. With the Arctic’s growing importance in global trade and defense, Greenland’s value has surged in recent years.
Trump first floated the idea of purchasing Greenland in 2019, calling US control over the Arctic territory an “absolute necessity” for global security. His recent comments have amplified concerns among Danish and Greenlandic officials, who view the proposal as not only unwelcome but potentially destabilising.
Greenland PM Pushes Back
Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede has also rejected Trump’s claims. Egede said that the island’s resources and governance remain Greenland’s prerogative, while expressing openness to closer cooperation with the US on defense and mining initiatives.
Trump’s comments have alarmed European officials, with reports of hastily convened high-level meetings in Copenhagen.