Why does Trump want to take over Greenland – and could he actually do it?

Published

2 months ago

March 25, 2025

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Since winning re-election, president-elect Donald Trump has expressed an interest in acquiring Greenland.

His aims surrounding Greenland coincide with his repeated claims that Canada should become the 51st state of the US and him directing the US military to draw up options to achieve his goal of “reclaiming” the Panama Canal.

Here is everything you need to know about the US president’s proposals and if they could actually happen.

Why does Trump want Greenland?

National security purposes

Greenland is the world’s largest island and a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. With a population of 57,000, it has been part of Denmark for 600 years.

It is also a founding member of NATO and home to a large US military base.

Straddling the Arctic circle between the US, Russia and Europe, the island offers a unique geopolitical advantage that America has eyed for more than 150 years.

It’s even more valuable as the Arctic opens up more to shipping and trade.

The idea of purchasing Greenland is not a new one for Mr Trump, who raised it as a possibility during his first term in office. But he has since reiterated the benefit it could have for America’s national security.

“We need greater national security purposes,” Mr Trump has said in the past. “I’ve been told that for a long time, long before I even ran [for president].

“People really don’t even know that Denmark has any legal right to it, but if they do, they should give it up because we need it for national security.”

Mr Trump’s claim to the island coincided with a visit by his son, Donald Trump Jr, back in January.

Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance, will also lead a US delegation to the island which the White House said had been organised as a chance to learn about Greenland.

The delegation will “visit historical sites, learn about Greenlandic heritage, and attend the Avannaata Qimussersu, Greenland’s national dogsled race”.

Rich in natural resources

As well as its location, Greenland holds rich deposits of various natural resources.

Locked inside the island are valuable rare earth minerals needed for telecommunications, as well as uranium, billions of untapped barrels of oil and a vast supply of natural gas that used to be inaccessible but is becoming less so.

Many of the same minerals are currently mostly supplied by China, so other countries such as the US are interested in tapping into available resources closer to home.

A front-row seat to the climate crisis

More than the oil, gas or minerals, Greenland has a lot of ice – and provides a front-row seat to the globe’s climate crisis.

If that ice melts, it would reshape coastlines across the globe and has the potential to dramatically shift weather patterns.

In fact, Greenland holds enough ice that if it all melts, the world’s seas would rise by 24ft (7.4m).

Greenland also influences hurricane and winter storm activity. Because of its mountains of ice, it has the power to change patterns in the jet stream, which brings storms across the globe and dictates daily weather.

Often, especially in winter, a blocking system of high pressure off Greenland causes Arctic air to plunge to the west and east, sweeping across North America and Europe, winter weather expert Judah Cohen told the Associated Press.

What effect could this have on the UK?

British politician and security expert Mike Martin explained on X that the seas between Greenland and the UK – which has Iceland in the middle – are “utterly vital” for NATO.

He explained that during the Cold War, the UK would often have 50 ships stationed in the area to look after the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) gap – which is the “only sensible route” that the Russian northern fleet has to get into the Atlantic Ocean.

Both the UK and Denmark continue to have a shared security interest in the gap.

The UK government website states that as part of the UK’s Arctic Policy Framework, it will continue to develop military capability in collaboration with Denmark, to allow it to operate in the region and in order to safeguard UK interests and those of its allies.

However, if the territory is taken over by the US, this collaboration could be affected.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Sky News at the beginning of the year that the comments were “classic Donald Trump”.

“He came in very clearly saying he was going to work for working people,” Mr Lammy said. “And, he sees American national economic security as centring that.

“That is why he’s raising issues, in relation to the Panama Canal, and I suspect to Greenland.”

He added that behind Mr Trump’s “intensity”, there are “actually quite serious national security and economic issues”.

‘Greenland is not for sale’

Ever since Mr Trump expressed an interest in Greenland the country’s government has opposed him.

As the country headed to the polls in early March to elect a new prime minister, Mr Trump promised “billions of dollars” in investment telling them he will “make you rich”.

The Demokraatit party won 30% of the vote in the election, handing Jens-Frederik Nielsen the win. Although his party favours independence, it prefers a slow move away from Denmark.

Mr Nielsen told Sky News’ international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn that he hopes his victory sends a clear message to Mr Trump that “we are not for sale”.

“We don’t want to be Americans. No, we don’t want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders. And we want our own independence in the future. And we want to build our own country by ourselves, not with his hope,” he said.

Ahead of the delegation visit led by Mrs Vance, all five parties in Greenland’s parliament issued a joint statement last week rejecting Mr Trump’s remarks.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has also said she did not believe the US would use military or economic power to secure control over Greenland.

“Greenland is not for sale,” Ms Frederiksen said, adding: “We need to stay calm and stick to our principles.”

Referring to the US as Denmark’s “most important and closest ally” she said she welcomed the US taking a greater interest in the Arctic region, but said it would have to be done in a way that is “respectful of the Greenlandic people”.

Denmark has recognised Greenland’s right to independence at a time of its choosing.

French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot also weighed in on the matter earlier this year, saying that the European Union would not let “other nations of the world attack its sovereign borders, whoever they are”.

“If you’re asking me whether I think the United States will invade Greenland, my answer is no. But have we entered into
a period of time when it is survival of the fittest? Then my answer is yes,” Mr Barrot said.

In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the principle of inviolability of borders applies to every country no matter how powerful.

“Borders must not be moved by force,” Mr Scholz said in a reaction to Mr Trump’s remarks, although he did not mention the president by name.

Why does Trump want the Panama Canal?

The Panama Canal is a waterway that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It acts as a shortcut route, saving time and costs for transporting goods, according to the Embassy of Panama website.

Under the Jimmy Carter administration, control of the canal was handed from the US to Panama in 1979, with the US ending its joint partnership in controlling the strategic waterway in 1999.

It is now administered by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous government entity, although a Hong Kong-based contractor operates two ports connected to it.

Mr Trump has claimed that the US is being treated unfairly when it is “overcharged” higher rates for its ships to sail the canal than those of other countries.

He claimed Panama was in “violation” of a deal with the US and that “China is basically taking it over”.

“We gave the Panama Canal to Panama. We didn’t give it to China,” Mr Trump said on Tuesday. “They’ve abused that gift.”

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino denied in a video statement last month that China has influence over the canal and shot down the idea of the US taking back authority over it.

“Every square metre of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to be so,” he said.

What about Canada?

Mr Trump’s repeated attacks on Canada’s sovereignty has infuriated leadership in the country.

He has claimed that the country “only works as a state” adding the US doesn’t need any of their resources such as lumber or energy.

“As a state, it would be one of the great states anywhere,” Mr Trump said.

“This would be the most incredible country, visually. If you look at a map, they drew an artificial line right through it, between Canada and the US. Just a straight, artificial line. Somebody did it a long time ago, many many decades ago. Makes no sense. It’s so perfect as a great and cherished state.”

Relations between the two countries have since dwindled, with new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney saying Canada faces the most “significant crisis of our lifetimes” because of the president’s “threats to our sovereignty”.

Mr Carney, who is the former governor of the Bank of England, has called a snap election after the resignation of Justin Trudeau. The election on 28 April is likely to come down to who is best equipped to take on Mr Trump.

Could Trump actually do any of this?

The incoming president has offered few details as to how he might carry out his plans to grow the US footprint.

He told Congress at the beginning of March that “America is back”, adding that the American Dream was bigger and better than ever before.

In reality, if Greenland becomes independent, it could choose to become associated with the US.

One option could be to form a so-called “free association” pact with America, similar to the status of Pacific island nations Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau.

Mr Trump has also suggested he would impose tariffs on Denmark if it resists his offer to purchase the island.

This could make things difficult for Danish companies, particularly drugmakers like Novo Nordisk, which sells the weight loss drug Wegovy and the type 2 diabetes medicine Ozempic.

Eswar Prasad, a professor of trade policy at Cornell University, told investment magazine Barron’s that the Trump administration could tailor specific tariffs to target products made by Danish companies regardless of where they are manufactured.

On Canada, Congress would first have to approve accepting a new state.

Canada would likely have to have a referendum to gauge voters’ interests in joining the US before more detailed aspects of the process could begin.

If Canada were to join the US – a highly unlikely prospect – its population of 41.6 million would make it the largest state, exceeding California’s 39.4 million residents.

It would also need two senators and 55 House seats – which would have huge effects on US presidental elections.

US

Eight men on the run after audacious ‘Shawshank’ escape from New Orleans jail

Published

3 hours ago

May 17, 2025

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Eight men on the run after audacious 'Shawshank' escape from New Orleans jail

Eight prisoners could be “frankly anywhere” in the US after breaking out of a New Orleans jail. Authorities have been left wondering – how did they do it?

The audacious escape saw 10 men flee the jail on Friday through a hole behind a toilet and scale a wall, in scenes reminiscent of The Shawshank Redemption movie.

The men are believed to have made their jailbreak while the lone guard assigned to their cell pod was away getting food.

While two have been recaptured, eight of the men – among them accused murderers – remain at large. Prison officials believe they may have had inside help.

Surveillance footage showed the escapees sprinting out of the Orleans Justice Centre, using blankets to scale a barbed wire fence and then sprinting across a nearby highway.

The absence of the men went unnoticed for more than seven hours – officers only learned of their escape the next morning during a routine headcount.

A photograph showing the hole the prisoners escaped through also revealed scrawled messages – including one saying “To Easy LoL” with an arrow pointing at the gap.

They ditched their jail uniforms after leaving the facility – and it is still unclear how some of them obtained regular clothes so quickly, officials said.

Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said the men were able to get out because of “defective locks”.

Sheriff Hutson said there are indications that people inside her department helped the fugitives escape.

“It’s almost impossible, not completely, but almost impossible for anybody to get out of this facility without help.”

Who are the escaped men?

The men range from 19 years old to 42, with most being in their 20s.

One of the fugitives, Derrick Groves, was convicted on two charges of murder and two charges of attempted murder for his role in the 2018 Mardi Gras Day shootings of two men.

Another escapee, Corey Boyd, had pleaded not guilty to a murder charge.

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said some of the men “have a history of witness intimidation of citizens who were brave enough to speak up”.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill called the escape “beyond unacceptable” and said local authorities waited too long to inform the public.

She said she reached out to neighbouring states to alert them about the escape, saying they have had plenty of time to get to “frankly anywhere across the country”.

US

Former FBI director interviewed after cryptic post ‘threatening’ Donald Trump

Published

3 hours ago

May 17, 2025

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Former FBI director interviewed after cryptic post 'threatening' Donald Trump

A former FBI director has been interviewed over a social media post interpreted by US officials as a threat against the US president.

James Comey, who led the bureau from 2013 until he was fired in 2017 by Donald Trump during his first term in office, shared a photo of seashells appearing to form the number 86 47.

He captioned the Instagram post: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”

Some US officials have interpreted the post as a threat, alleging that 86 47 means to violently remove Mr Trump from office, including by assassination.

What does ’86 47′ mean?

The number 86 can be used as a verb in the US. It commonly means “to throw somebody out of a bar for being drunk or disorderly”.

One recent meaning of the term is “to kill”, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which said it had not adopted this meaning of 86 “due to its relative recency and sparseness of use”.

The number has previously been used in a political context by Matt Gaetz, who was President Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general but resigned following a series of sexual misconduct allegations.

Mr Gaetz wrote: “We’ve now 86’d…” and listed political opponents he had sparred with who ended up stepping down.

Meanwhile, 47 is supposedly representing Mr Trump, who is the 47th US president.

Mr Comey later removed the post, saying he thought the numbers “were a political message” and that he was not aware that the numeric arrangement could be associated with violence.

“I didn’t realise some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind, so I took the post down,” Mr Comey said.

Mr Trump later hit back, rejecting the former FBI director’s explanation and telling Fox News: “He knew exactly what that meant”.

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on X, confirmed Mr Comey had been interviewed as part of “an ongoing investigation” but gave no indication of whether he might face further action.

The Secret Service is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

A spokesman for the Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the president, said they were aware of the post and the agency would “take rhetoric like this very seriously”.

Current FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau was aware of the post and was conferring with the Secret Service.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service are investigating the post “calling for the assassination” of Mr Trump and “will respond appropriately”, Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday.

Donald Trump Jr. accused Mr Comey of “casually calling for my dad to be murdered”.

A White House deputy chief of staff, Tayor Budowich, said Mr Comey had put out “what can clearly be interpreted as a hit on the sitting president of the United States”.

“This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously,” Mr Budowich wrote on the social media platform X.

Another White House staffer, James Blair, said the post was a “Clarion Call (…) to terrorists & hostile regimes to kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East”.

Mr Trump fired Mr Comey in May 2017 for botching an investigation into 2016 democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, the White House said at the time.

While Mr Comey was the director of the FBI, the agency opened an investigation into possible collusion between the Trump 2016 presidential campaign and Russia to help get Mr Trump elected.

US

Cassie Ventura finishes her evidence after days describing alleged rape and ‘hundreds’ of freak offs

Published

3 hours ago

May 17, 2025

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Cassie Ventura finishes her evidence after days describing alleged rape and 'hundreds' of freak offs

R&B star Cassie Ventura told Sean “Diddy” Combs “I’m not a rag doll, I’m someone’s child”, after he allegedly beat her outside a lift at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles in March 2016, a New York court has heard.

Footage of Combs appearing to drag and kick the R&B star in a corridor was initially released by CNN in May 2024. Combs subsequently apologised for his actions.

The footage of the incident, which Cassie says took place after she left a “freak off” sex session, has since been widely shared and has been shown to the jury in court as evidence for the prosecution.

Combs, 55, faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He denies the allegations against him.

Cassie, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, alleges she was physically abused and degraded for years by the powerful hip-hop star and music executive, accusing him of violence, coercion, blackmail and rape.

The 38-year-old, who is the star witness for the prosecution, faced a fourth day on the stand, with the hip-hop mogul’s defence lawyers concluding their two-day cross-examination.

Heavily pregnant, she is expecting her third child in just a few weeks.

Prosecutors say Combs exploited and used his network of employees to facilitate illegal activities, while defence lawyers have been attempting to show jurors she consented to their highly charged “swingers lifestyle”.

The court also heard further details of Cassie’s allegation of rape against Combs, information around her stay at a trauma and addiction centre in Arizona and further messages appearing to show her enthusiasm for freak offs.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial: Day 5 – As it happened

Cassie was asked about singer Chris Brown – who she denied dancing with – and tells the court Combs had form for taking her belongings, including her phone, car and watch, when he was angry with her.

An audio recording was also played to the court, appearing to show Cassie threatening a man she claimed to have a video of her at a freak off on his phone, screaming: “I will f*** you up and it won’t be my hand”.

It was not clear as to whether such a video ever existed.

Cassie was also asked about her use of drugs, and said she had struggled with opioid addiction since 2022.

She described a 45-day stay at a rehabilitation centre in Arizona in 2023, where she underwent EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) to help resolve trauma.

The centre specialises in treating “sex and intimacy issues”, but Cassie confirmed she was treated only for trauma.

The court also heard about Cassie’s allegation of rape against Combs in August or September 2018, by which time she says they had split up.

The pair were together, on and off, for about 11 years from 2007 to 2018.

‘I have love for the past, what it was’

Describing Combs taking her for dinner at an Italian restaurant in Malibu, she says he raped her after driving her home, after “acting strangely” during the meal.

When asked if she believed his behaviour was due to his “bipolar disorder”, Cassie answered “yes”.

The jury was then shown a text message which included a heart emoji, sent by Cassie to Combs the following day.

When asked if she still had love for him, she said: “I have love for the past, what it was.”

Cassie confirmed she saw Combs the following month, when she said she had consensual sex with him, during which her now-husband, personal trainer Alex Fine, attempted to FaceTime her.

She said she didn’t tell Fine she had been raped by Combs at the time, but that he “punched a wall” when she later told him.

Combs paid close attention to Cassie’s cross-examination, leaning in to read transcripts on the monitor in front of him and passing down notes to his lawyer. Cassie did not look at him throughout the trial.

A ‘$10m’ settlement with the Intercontinental

Towards the end of her questioning by the defence, Cassie was read a message from Combs in September 2012, in which he asked “do you want to have our last FO [freak off] tonight?” – to which she responded, “I don’t want to freak off for the last time, I want it to be the first time for the rest of our lives”.

In a surprise turn, Cassie also confirmed that an expected settlement of $10m had been agreed with the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, where she was assaulted.

Following her time in court, she released a statement saying she hoped her testimony would help others “heal from the abuse and fear”.

“For me, the more I heal, the more I can remember,” she said. “And the more I can remember, the more I will never forget.”

The next witness, special agent Yasin Binda, detailed items found during a search of Combs’s Park Hyatt hotel room in 2004, following his arrest that year.

She showed the court images of exhibits including lubricant and baby oil, drugs and a bum bag containing $9,000 (£6,800) in cash.

‘Hit over the head with a skillet of eggs’

At the end of the day, Dawn Richard, a former member of girl group Danity Kane and trio Dirty Money, gave evidence, telling the court she observed Combs attacking Cassie, including a time he “hit her over the head with a skillet of eggs”.

She went on to say Combs “dragged” Cassie upstairs where she “heard glass breaking”, adding she had “never seen anything” like it before – “he was punching his girlfriend”.

Richard said she didn’t intervene or report the incident to the police as she was “scared”.

The singer sued Combs last year, accusing him of physical abuse, groping and psychological abuse during her time working with him.

Combs has been jailed since September and faces at least 15 years or possibly life in prison if convicted.

The trial is set to last for seven more weeks.