Is Donald Trump Serious About The US Acquiring Greenland?

What seemingly started out as a joke looks to be a serious desire for President-elect Donald Trump. We are of course referring to Mr. Trump’s calls for the United States to buy Greenland.

This did not just come out of the blue. President-elect Trump made overtures to buy Greenland during his first term. But now, less than 2 weeks before he takes office again, he has not only ramped up his calls to buy Greenland, but consistently stayed on the topic.

Mr. Trump even had his son, Don Jr, visit Greenland, coming to a US military base on the territory. Trump has repeatedly said that acquiring Greenland is critical to US national security interests.

Greenland, the world’s largest island, is home to less than 60,000 people and has been a part of Denmark for over 600 years. “This is a deal that must happen,” Trump said on Tuesday after his son’s visit to the territory.

Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede, who recently has stepped up a push for independence from Denmark, has repeatedly said the island is not for sale and that it is up to its people to decide their future.

This isn’t the first time an American President has sought to buy Greenland. When Greenland was still a colony, the United States under then-President Harry Truman sought to buy the island as a strategic asset during the Cold War for $100 million in gold, but Copenhagen declined to sell.

While sparsely populated, Greenland is rich in oil, gas and mineral deposits. It is also located in a key area in the Arctic, a region of the world that is increasing in importance, especially with respect to China and Russia.

With Donald Trump coming back to the White House, he has the opportunity to shape the course of the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and to push the US in the direction that he wants.

Donald Trump often uses his unpredictability and intense rhetoric to get deals for the country. Is he doing this to angle for some concessions from Greenland and Denmark? Or does he actually want Greenland to be a US territory? Knowing Trump, it is impossible to say for sure.