Observers doubt the new US president will buy the world's largest island but his interest underlines its strategic importance President Donald Trump's claim that US ownership and control of Greenland is "an absolute necessity" has underlined the strategic importance of the world's largest island in terms of American missile defences and anti-submarine operations.

We need it for international security. And I’m sure that Denmark will come along — it’s costing them a lot of money to maintain it, to keep it,” says new U.S. president.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is once again making waves with his pursuit of Greenland, this time refusing to rule out using force to gain control of the Arctic island from ally Denmark. But Washington had been interested in Greenland long before Trump came along.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said the United States needs to control Greenland to ensure international security. Trump made the comments while signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on the first day of his second term as president.

Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede firmly rejected the idea of the island being taken over by the United States. This statement came after Donald Trump was inaugurated as the President of the United States and once again expressed a desire for control over Greenland.

The United States of America should purchase Greenland for reasons of "international security," specifically referring to threats from Russia and China, states US President Donald Trump, according to Politico.