On 9 April 1940, the day that Denmark fell to the Nazi war machine, the Danish envoy to the United States, Henrik Kauffmann, in violation of his diplomatic status, signed an agreement authorising the US to act as defenders of Greenland and build military installations there.

Sen. Rand Paul says he opposes military action in Greenland​ as the White House says it is exploring all options for the territory​, including military action.

Analysts say the Cold War agreement allows the president to increase the American military presence almost at will.

The US administration has sent mixed signals over plans to acquire Greenland, with the White House leaving the use of military force on the table while the secretary of state has spoken of buying the Danish territory,

"If I wanted to buy Greenland, I'd be doing PR events up there, I'd be showering them with gifts, I would be talking to the people of Greenland about how they could be a part of t

Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally that has rejected Trump’s overtures. Greenland’s own government also opposes U.S. designs on the island, saying the people of Greenland will decide their own future.

Trump has said the U.S. needs Greenland as a matter of national security and has criticized Denmark’s defenses on the island. Denmark has countered that the U.S. already has a m

President Donald Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland fits into a long, little-known pattern in U.S. history, since American leaders have long seen Greenland as a strategic asset