In August 2019, President Trump expressed interest in the U.S. acquiring Greenland. The U.S. government has long considered Greenland to be an important asset to American national security. In 1951 the U.S. and Denmark signed a treaty which established a U.S. air force base in northern Greenland 750 miles from the Arctic Circle. Greenland has a population of 56,000 and is a self-ruling part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenland’s government runs its domestic policies and its foreign policy is handled by Denmark. The Danish government gives Greenland $590 million per year in subsidies which make up 60% of its annual budget. After President Trump expressed interest in Greenland’s ministry of foreign affairs said the island “was not for sale.”
