Denmark says Britain has priority right to buy Greenland

Britain has a priority right to Greenland. Greenland can be sold to the United States by Denmark only if the British authorities refuse to claim the territory. This was announced by former Danish Minister for Greenland Tom Heim, whose words January 25 The Sunday Times.

Earlier in January, US President Donald Trump said that Greenland should become part of the United States, emphasizing the strategic importance of the island for the national security of the country and the protection of the free world.

However, Heim believes that these plans could be hindered by a century-old document. In addition, he noted that the priority right to acquire Greenland belongs to Great Britain.

"If Trump tried to buy Greenland, he would have to ask London first," the publication quotes the former minister.

He specified that back in 1917, the United Kingdom demanded that in the case of the sale of Greenland, Britain should have the right of pre-emption. As the newspaper explains, the deal in question was part of the arrangements for the purchase of the Danish West Indies, now known as the American Virgin Islands, by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.

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Prior to that, on December 22, 2024, Trump had said that it was an absolute necessity for the U.S. to own and control Greenland. Prior to that, he had expressed interest in buying the island from Denmark in 2019, but was turned down. This coming year, Trump was also indicated that the island is not for sale and will not be sold.