Trump Revives Interest in Purchasing Greenland Citing National Security Concerns

Investing.com -- The elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, has renewed interest in purchasing Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. Trump stated that ownership and control of the island are critically important for national security. This announcement brings back to the forefront Trump’s proposal from 2019 to buy the world’s largest island, which Denmark quickly rejected.

In a statement on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump expressed his belief that the United States owning and controlling Greenland is extremely important for both national security and global freedom. The island already plays a significant role in American defense, hosting a U.S. air base and radar station. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has increased Greenland's military importance to the U.S. and NATO due to its strategic location between the Arctic and the North Atlantic.

This statement coincided with Trump’s nomination of Ken Howery, co-founder of PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL), as the U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark. Howery, who served as ambassador to Sweden from 2019 to 2021 during Trump’s first administration, stated his aim to strengthen ties between the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland.

Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede responded via email to Trump’s post, reiterating that the island is not for sale and never will be. However, Egede emphasized that Greenland should remain open to direct cooperation and trade with other countries, especially neighboring ones.