Trump hints he may be interested in buying Greenland again

President-elect Donald Trump said he wants the U.S. to own and control Greenland – a desire he expressed during his first term as president – as he announced his pick for U.S. ambassador to Denmark on Sunday.

“In the interests of national security and freedom around the world, the United States of America believes ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social.

His comments about Greenland came in the same statement in which Trump announced he had chosen PayPal co-founder Ken Howery to lead the embassy in Denmark.

“Ken will do an outstanding job representing the interests of the United States,” he said.

Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland came shortly after he demanded that Panama return ownership and control of the Panama Canal to the United States, something the country’s president vehemently opposed.

Trump had already indicated in 2019 that he wanted to buy Greenland. At that time, he was primarily interested in the country’s natural resources and geopolitical relevance.

Leaders in Denmark were not pleased with the president’s persistence. The island has autonomous self-government, but still belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark.

“Greenland is not for sale. Greenland is not Danish. Greenland is part of Greenland. I really hope this isn’t meant seriously,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said during a visit to Greenland in 2019.

Trump was frustrated by Frederiksen’s rebuttal and even canceled a meeting with her because she commented on the absurdity of the proposed deal.

The plan to buy Greenland collapsed during Trump’s term and was completely abandoned by President Joe Biden’s administration, but now Trump appears determined to revive his project after reclaiming the Oval Office.