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.

Greenlanders do not want to follow American policy on China. And a large minority view Chinese influence in the world positively.

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.

The president-elect is suddenly pushing to annex Greenland, reclaim the Panama Canal and absorb Canada, provoking longtime allies just days before taking office.

Denmark has recently sent private messages to the team of US President-elect Donald Trump, expressing its readiness to discuss strengthening security in Greenland or increasing the US military presence on the island.

The United States withdrawing from the Paris Agreement is a blow to global cooperation on climate change, but other countries are marching ahead and stepping up leadership on the issue.

Denmark has reportedly sent private messages to Donald Trump's team, letting the United States president-elect know it is willing to talk about letting Washington ramp up its military presence on the semi-autonomous island of Greenland, but that it will not cede control.