The idea of the US purchasing Greenland, an island a quarter the size of the USA, resurfaced after Republican Congressman Mike Collins shared an image of Donald Trump's 2024 Electoral College map, which included Greenland, colored red. The map was captioned "Project 2029," hinting that the island could become part of the US by 2029.
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During his first term, Trump notably raised the idea of buying Greenland, describing it as "essentially a large real estate deal." In 2019, he remarked, "Denmark essentially owns it … We’re very good allies with Denmark, we protect Denmark like we protect large portions of the world … Strategically, it’s interesting, and we’d be interested, but we’ll talk to them a little bit."
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Trump’s proposal to purchase Greenland reportedly included assuming Denmark's $600 million annual subsidy to the island. He also jokingly suggested swapping Greenland for Puerto Rico during discussions, according to The New York Times. However, Denmark, a NATO ally, firmly rejected the idea, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen calling it "absurd" and declaring, "Greenland is not for sale. That's where the conversation ends."
Throughout history, the US has shown interest in acquiring Greenland, with discussions dating back to 1867, 1910, and 1946. The island’s appeal lies in its substantial untapped resources, including offshore oil and gas reserves, as well as confirmed deposits of zinc, gold, iron ore, uranium, and other metals. Recent discoveries of rare earth elements, crucial for electric vehicles and wind turbines, have only increased its strategic value.
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Project 2029: The Greenland Purchase.
During his first term, Trump notably raised the idea of buying Greenland, describing it as "essentially a large real estate deal." In 2019, he remarked, "Denmark essentially owns it … We’re very good allies with Denmark, we protect Denmark like we protect large portions of the world … Strategically, it’s interesting, and we’d be interested, but we’ll talk to them a little bit."
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"Essentially a large real estate deal."
Danish prime minister, 2019: "Trump doesn't understand reality."
Trump’s proposal to purchase Greenland reportedly included assuming Denmark's $600 million annual subsidy to the island. He also jokingly suggested swapping Greenland for Puerto Rico during discussions, according to The New York Times. However, Denmark, a NATO ally, firmly rejected the idea, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen calling it "absurd" and declaring, "Greenland is not for sale. That's where the conversation ends."
Deutsche Welle, August 16, 2019.
Throughout history, the US has shown interest in acquiring Greenland, with discussions dating back to 1867, 1910, and 1946. The island’s appeal lies in its substantial untapped resources, including offshore oil and gas reserves, as well as confirmed deposits of zinc, gold, iron ore, uranium, and other metals. Recent discoveries of rare earth elements, crucial for electric vehicles and wind turbines, have only increased its strategic value.
Additionally, Greenland is seen as a critical geopolitical asset, with its position offering control over Arctic sea lanes and access to resources worth potentially trillions of dollars. It is also home to US military infrastructure, including components of the ballistic missile warning system and phased-array radar equipment at Thule Air Base, cementing NATO's control over the North Atlantic. In the future, Greenland could even be used to deploy US intermediate-range ground-based missiles.