Why does Greenland matter to Trump?published at 15:43 GMT
15:43 GMT
Let’s step back a second and look at the broader picture.
Trump has said that he wants Greenland for reasons of national security, citing concerns over Russia and China. Greenland’s location in the Arctic means that it is well placed for monitoring and early warning systems in the event of a missile attack.
During the Cold War, the US had plans to station nuclear missiles on the island, but abandoned the project over engineering problems and objections from Denmark.
Greenland has been controlled by Denmark for around 300 years, and was governed as a colony until the mid 20th century.
In recent years, there has been increased interest in Greenland’s natural resources, including rare earth minerals, uranium and iron. It could also have significant oil and gas reserves.
Mineral resources have been a key focus of Trump elsewhere, including in his dealings with Ukraine. However, the US president has insisted “we need Greenland from the standpoint of national security”.