Greenland is not available for purchase

In a post on Truth Social on December 22, Trump named Ken Howery as his nominee for the United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark and reiterated his belief that the U.S. should seek ownership of Greenland.

Greenland is an island located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans and is a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. 

Trump emphasized that he sees the acquisition of Greenland as crucial for national security and global freedom, stating, “the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” 

While Trump hasn’t elaborated on his motivation to purchase Greenland, the territory has access to valuable natural resources and houses a large U.S. military base. Its location also provides access to the Arctic Ocean from the Atlantic. 

Trump first floated the idea of purchasing Greenland in 2019, during his first administration. Denmark’s prime minister called purchase discussions “absurd,” prompting Trump to cancel a planned trip to the country. 

Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton penned an op-ed in 2019 saying that acquiring the territory would provide a safeguard against foreign threats like what the U.S. faced during World War II and the Cold War. 

After Trump expressed renewed interest in Greenland on Dec. 22, Google search data shows there’s been a spike in searches about Trump’s statement and Greenland, including whether the territory is for sale.

No, Greenland is not for sale.

Greenland is not for sale, Múte Egede, the territory’s prime minister, said on Facebook. 

“Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our years-long fight for freedom,” Egede wrote in Danish, translated into English via Google Translate. 

“However, we must continue to be open to cooperation and trade with the whole world, especially with our neighbours. Since all cooperation and trade cannot go through Denmark. All cooperation with us must be based on our values. Because at all times we must not squabble about our country,” Egede wrote. 

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, according to the Danish national government website. It has its own government, managing most domestic affairs, while Denmark oversees foreign policy, defense and monetary matters. 

In 2009, Greenland’s residents voted for increased autonomy, which gave the island its own parliament and independent leadership, but it is still in part controlled by Denmark.

According to Greenland’s Self-Government Act in 2009, Greenland has the option to declare full independence if it chooses to in the future. First, in order to do that, the decision regarding Greenland’s independence must be brought before the people. Greenland has a population of roughly 56,000. 

If Greenland’s population decides to move forward, negotiations begin between Danish and Greenland governing bodies. An agreement has to be made between the two, and if reached, Greenland’s parliament has to approve and then draft a resolution for independence. The agreement for independence ends with Denmark’s parliament approving the independence. Greenland would then become an independent nation.

In an email to VERIFY, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s office saidthe “Danish Government is looking forward to welcoming the new American ambassador. And the Government is looking forward to working with the new administration.”

“In a complex security political situation as the one we currently experience, transatlantic cooperation is crucial. As far as statements about Greenland, the Prime Minister’s Office has no comments other than reference to what was stated by the Premier of Greenland about Greenland not being for sale, but open for cooperation,” the statement to VERIFY read. 

Danish parliament member Rasmus Jarlov rejected Trump’s interest in purchasing Greenland in a post on X.

“Greenland is Danish. It has been since 1380 and it will continue to be. This is undisputed, signed in rock in treaties and not open for negotiation. At all. Dictators threaten to take control over other countries’ territory. Free democratic countries do not,” Jarlov said.

The U.S’s interest in Greenland did not begin with Trump. In 1946, the U.S. considered proposals to pay Denmark $100 million in gold bars for Greenland or trade oil-rich land in Alaska for some of Greenland’s territory, according to the Associated Press. Even though the sale did not go through, the United States ended up with the military bases it wanted anyway.

The U.S. Air Force currently maintains two bases in Greenland, Thule and Sondestrom.

Construction of the Thule base in 1952 was made possible by a defense treaty signed by the U.S. and Denmark in 1951. Originally designed as a refueling base for long-range bombing missions, it has been a ballistic missile early warning site and satellite telemetry station since 1961. Sondestrom’s mission is in support of the base at Thule.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This story is also available in Spanish / Lee este artículo también en español: No, Groenlandia no está a la venta