US President Donald Trump's strange plans are being told. People find them funny and laugh at them. However, after seeing the invasion of Venezuela and the capture of its president, at least now the world no longer considers the statements of the president of the world's most powerful country to be a joke.

In the past, people laughed when Trump talked about annexing Greenland to the US. But now, they are horrified when he repeats the same issue.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has strongly opposed Trump's suggestion that Greenland could be occupied even through military intervention. "If the US militarily attacks another NATO member, the security system established after World War II will end," Frederiksen said in an interview on Danish television on Monday.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen has also condemned Trump's remarks.

After all, Trump is the world's largest island (2.166 million square kilometers), surrounded by 80 percent of the Arctic Ocean and about 20 percent of the North Atlantic Ocean, with a population of about 56,000 people. Why are they trying to annex Greenland into the US? Focusing on this question, here is a look at Greenland's history, strategic importance, resource richness, and future.

History

Greenland's history is not limited to political or colonial events. Its identity is deeply connected to the legends, myths, and oral traditions of the Inuit community. Many legends related to nature, spirits, and gods are famous here. Archaeological and historical evidence indicates that there has been human settlement here for at least 4500 years. According to historians, at that time, indigenous communities of the Sakak and Dorset cultures lived here, whose lifestyle was based on hunting and fishing. Around 1200 AD, the Inuit of the Thule culture arrived, who are the ancestors of modern Greenlanders. The Norse settlements founded by Eric the Red in 986 disappeared by the 15th century due to climatic and social changes, and Greenland then became a land of Inuit society.

In 1721, the Norwegian priest Hans Egede began to preach Christianity there. That same year, Greenland became a colony of Denmark. Traditional shamanic practices disappeared. However, legends and folk beliefs survive as oral traditions. Denmark made it a province of its own in 1953. In 1979, a referendum was held in Greenland. This resulted in it being separated from the province and becoming a country with limited self-government. The Greenland Home Rule Act of 2009 granted Greenland the right to self-determination. That is, Greenlanders can declare themselves independent from Denmark if they wish.

Although Greenland is self-governing, a large part of the budget comes from Denmark. In the 2026 Danish financial budget, $253 million has been allocated for the development of Greenland's physical infrastructure.

The Greenland government manages most domestic affairs, including education, health and natural resource development. Foreign, defense and security policy are overseen by the Danish government. However, in recent years, Greenland has been increasing its diplomatic autonomy. For example, in 2024, the title of Greenland's foreign policy was, 'Greenland in the World - Nothing About Us Without Us.'

Strategic importance

There are eight countries in the Arctic Ocean - Russia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the United States. All countries except Russia are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

After the end of the Cold War, international powers coordinated their studies and research in this region for a long time. However, in recent years, competition for resources has increased between the powers. In particular, Russia's expansionist policy has shocked other countries in the Arctic.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Finland in 2023 and Sweden in 2024 abandoned their neutral policies and became members of NATO. This has made Arctic geopolitics a center of tension between Russia and NATO. At the same time, China has also been increasing its influence here in recent years.

China, Greenland's largest trading partner, is actively involved in various infrastructure and research in the Arctic. In particular, it has influence over Russian territories in the Arctic Ocean. It is considered part of the China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership .

Protecting American interests

Greenland and Iceland proved to be very useful for the Allies in the fight against Nazi Germany in World War II. At the time when Nazi Germany occupied Denmark, the United States had established an air and naval base in Greenland. Therefore, this area could not be occupied by the Germans. American planes entering Europe used to stop here. Then, carrying weapons, troops, and supplies, they would go to the front line through Iceland. During the Cold War, the United States used to monitor the activities of the Soviet Union

in this area.

The United States established the Pitufik Space Base, Thule Air Base, and the Missile Early Warning Center here. The system has built strategic infrastructure, including stations for space surveillance. The anti-submarine warfare chokepoint built in the North Atlantic during the Cold War still monitors Russian naval forces in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans today.

Resources According to a 2007 U.S. Geological Survey report, Greenland may have significant oil and gas reserves off its coast. However, the Greenland government stopped issuing new licenses for oil and gas exploration in 2021. The decision was made citing concerns about the economic feasibility and environmental impacts of drilling.

Commercial exploitation of Greenland's ice and water could help meet the growing global demand for fresh water. It is estimated that about 20 percent of the world's fresh water covers the island.

Greenland's fisheries are a significant part of its economy. The people here earn their living by exporting fish. Marine fish are in danger with climate change. And, the importance of Greenland has increased further.

Greenland is rich in rare minerals. These elements play an important role in the use of batteries and machinery. Currently, China owns more than 90 percent of the world's processed rare minerals. Some time ago, when China tightened its restrictions on the export of these materials, American companies were in big trouble. Trump also wants Greenland to reduce dependence on China.

America's initiative

This is not the first time that America has taken the initiative to annex Greenland. In 1823, US President James Monroe put forward the concept of preventing Europeans from expanding colonies in the Western Hemisphere.

This concept, called the Monroe Doctrine, believes that the Western Hemisphere should remain under the influence of America. Although there is no mention of Greenland, it argues that America's influence in the Arctic region should remain.

In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia. At the same time, Secretary of State William H. Seward had initiated the process of purchasing Greenland and Iceland from Denmark. However, opponents protested that Alaska was purchased at a high price ($7.2 million) from the Russian Tsar. There was still a major disagreement among most members of parliament on Greenland and Iceland, and this process did not proceed.