Though the president-elect's rhetoric is unusual, for over a century a succession of US presidents have tried to gain control of Greenland.

Trump showed initial interest in acquiring Greenland in 2019, and at a press conference Tuesday, he announced, 'we need Greenland for national security purposes.'

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says he wants to make Greenland a part of the United States and does not rule out using military or economic power to get Denmark to hand over the mineral-rich and strategically important island.