Greenland is rich in minerals like gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, as well as fossil fuels and rare earth elements
As President-elect Donald Trump shows no sign of backing down from his plan to purchase Greenland, his plane carrying his eldest son, Trump Jr., landed on the mineral-rich Arctic territory.
Despite claiming it was a tourist trip, Don Jr. reportedly distributed “Make Greenland Great Again” hats.
Denmark is not interested
It is not the first time Trump has suggested taking over Greenland. In 2019, he put forward the same idea, which Denmark and Greenland swiftly declined.
As Trump is set to take office again, he seems even more determined to acquire Greenland, citing national security. He emphasized its strategic Arctic location amid global competition.
Trump even said he wouldn’t rule out using military force and threatened that the US may levy tariffs on Denmark.
The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded firmly, saying, “Greenland is not for sale.” Greenland already has a US military base.
More than the Northern Lights
The world’s largest island, with 56,000 residents, mostly Inuit, is rich in minerals like gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, as well as fossil fuels and rare earth elements.
Greenland’s strategic positioning is another reason the president-elect is interested in the island. It is part of the Northwest Passage, one of the main Arctic shipping routes that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Not just Greenland
During a 70-minute news conference at Mar-a-Lago, besides Greenland, Trump also proposed making Canada the 51st state and retaking the Panama Canal.
Canadian and Panamanian leaders dismissed Trump’s expansionist rhetoric, with Canada’s prime minister stating there was “no chance” of annexation.