Why did Donald Trump want to buy Greenland? Who currently owns the territory and what’s its population?
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DONALD Trump initially mentioned his controversial desire to buy Greenland during his first presidential term. And the president-elect is at it again, even refusing to rule out taking the Nordic territory by force. Here we look at why Trump wants it and whether it is for sale.
Donald Trump first told his aides to look into the possibility of buying Greenland back in 2019. The US President wants to buy the Danish territory as it is in a crucial strategic location in case tensions with Russia rise — but has admitted it's not a No. 1 priority.
![[ Greenland has long been seen as strategically important because of its location in relation to the US and Russia]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/greenland.jpg?strip=all&w=853)
In 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump repeatedly expressed a desire to buy the island, which lies between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. At a dinner in the spring of 2018, the former property tycoon is reported to have mentioned buying Greenland.
“What do you guys think about that?” he asked the room, according to a source. “Do you think it would work?”. Some of Trump’s administration supported the concept, while others dismissed it as “fleeting fascination”, according to the paper.
![[ Potential oil, gas and rare earth mineral reserves have also attracted prospecting firms]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/NINTCHDBPICT000513794195.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Following his landslide victory in the 2024 presidential election, the issue has come up again. Upon being asked at a press conference in January 2025 about whether he could assure the world he would not use military or economic coercion as he tries to gain control of Greenland and the Panama Canal, Trump said: "No, I can't assure you on either of those two.
