Donald Trump, newly sworn in once again as president of the United States, reignited an ambition: acquiring Greenland. El Correo reported that he repeatedly expressed a desire for ownership and control of Greenland, stating that it was an absolute necessity for US national security. This echoed a proposal that Denmark consistently rejected since 1946 and repeated in 2019 and 2025. “No, thank you,” said the Danes.
Greenland’s elected leadership also refused. “The island is not for sale and will never be for sale,” said Prime Minister of Greenland Múte Bourup Egede, according to Capital. “Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland. It is our job to shape our future,” he stated. Denmark, which retained control over foreign affairs and defense for the territory, stood behind Greenland’s right to determine its fate. The Danish government acknowledged the territory’s ambitions for independence but emphasized that any major decision had to reflect the will of Greenlanders themselves.
Historically, attempts by the United States to procure Greenland traced back many decades. In 1946, US Secretary of State James Byrnes offered Denmark 100 million dollars in gold bars to secure Greenland, but Copenhagen rejected the deal. Videnskab recounted that the response was effectively the same curt refusal repeated whenever the question arose. Even after this rebuff, Washington never lost interest in Greenland’s strategic position and resource potential. During the Cold War, the US built several military installations on the island, including an airfield. The Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base, persisted as the northernmost detachment of the American armed forces. Arctic conditions did not dissuade US strategists; Greenland’s location between North America and Europe underscored its importance to American defense planning.
Part of the renewed fervor around Greenland came from estimates about its reserves of minerals and other natural resources. Studies pointed to the presence of copper, lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements, oil, and gas. President Trump characterized an acquisition as the Deal of the Century, an idea described by American economist David Barker, who once said, “Buying Greenland would be the deal of the century,” according to Euro2day.
Opinions differed on what such a purchase might cost. Some calculations placed Greenland’s value between 12.5 billion, based on comparisons with past US territorial acquisitions, such as the US purchase of Alaska and the Virgin Islands. Greenland’s strategic position and its resource potential raised the stakes and the suggested price.
While President Trump insisted that Greenland was vital for national and economic security, officials in Copenhagen and Nuuk remained unimpressed. The Kingdom of Denmark historically administered Greenland since the 13th century CE, and the island began handling most of its internal affairs in 1979. Denmark’s rejection of multiple US offers underscored the complexity of trying to purchase a territory whose people consistently insisted on the right to determine their own destiny.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq