Donald Trump was not the first - even after the end of World War II, then-U.S. president Harry S. Truman wanted to buy Greenland for $100 million in gold.
Denmark then said no and the issue was long dead before it was revived during Trump's first term (2017–2021). Some of the reasons for Trump's interest are the same as for Truman:
The strategic and security aspect
With only 56,000 inhabitants and an area approximately 80 percent covered by thick ice sheets, Greenland may seem uninteresting to the United States, but its geographical location, primarily relative to Russia and, to some extent, China, is seen as geopolitically and strategically important.
On Sunday, Trump claimed that the waters around Greenland are full of Russian and Chinese ships, a claim refuted by scientists the Danish newspaper Politiken spoke to.
The U.S. already has a military base in Greenland, but Trump has previously said he wants to build a “Golden Dome,” a missile defense system similar to Israel’s so-called “Iron Dome.” Geographically, Greenland is well-positioned for such a defense against Russia or China, analysts said.
Access to Greenland's natural resources, such as rare earth metals
Trump himself has downplayed the importance of Greenland's natural resources, saying last month that the U.S. needs the island "for national security reasons, not for the minerals." However, his former national security adviser Mike Waltz pointed out in an interview with Fox News a year earlier that the focus was on "critical minerals and natural resources." One problem for the U.S. is that China currently dominates rare earth metals and is estimated to account for almost 90 percent of world production.
It is clear that Greenland has untapped rare earth resources needed for everything from electric cars to wind turbines, and for refining. A consequence of climate change is that these may become more accessible for extraction as the ice melts. In addition, there are large oil and gas resources, which the U.S. also considers of interest.
Faster and easier trade routes
Shipping routes between Asia and Europe, as well as Asia and the United States, currently pass through the Suez and Panama Canals, respectively. Traveling across the Northern Hemisphere could shorten the route by up to 40 percent, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. This would mean significant financial savings for shipping companies in terms of fuel costs, among other things.
Access to Greenland would give the United States an advantage over Russia and China when it comes to Arctic shipping routes, writes The New York Times, among others.
