The first Trump administration, in particular, viewed China’s interest in Greenland as having hidden commercial and military motives, concerns that continued under President Joe Biden’s administration in its recent lobbying of another Australian mining firm not to sell any of its Greenland assets to Chinese companies.

President-elect Donald Trump wants to acquire Greenland. This is not merely one of his japes, as it may have been during his first term. Great-power territorial acquisition is on his dream list for his second term.