Fact Check: Who shared interest in annexing greenland

1. Summary of the results

Multiple U.S. administrations and officials have expressed interest in annexing Greenland over the past 150+ years, including:

Secretary of State William H. Seward in 1867/1868 ^{[1] [2]}
U.S. ambassador to Denmark in 1910 proposing a land swap ^[2]
President Harry Truman in 1946, offering $100 million in gold and Alaskan oil rights ^[3]
Nelson Rockefeller in 1955 ^[1]
Donald Trump and his sons in 2019 and 2025 ^{[1] [4]}

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial contextual elements need to be considered:

*Current Political Status:

Greenland has its own parliament and domestic laws, moving towards independence from Denmark ^[5]

The Greenlandic people identify as "a proud Indigenous people with a right to self-determination" ^[5]

Only 6% of Greenland's residents support becoming part of the US ^[6]

Strategic Importance:

The U.S. views Greenland as strategically important for:

National security

Military positioning

Potential resource extraction, particularly rare earth minerals ^{[1] [7]}

**3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement**

The question of "who shared interest" might suggest that Greenland is potentially available for annexation, which is misleading because:

Strong Opposition:

The Greenlandic government has repeatedly stated that "Greenland is not for sale and will never be for sale" ^[8]

Prime Minister Múte B. Egede explicitly reaffirmed this position in December 2024 ^[8]

Danish officials were shocked by Trump's proposal ^[6]

Beneficiary Analysis:*

The U.S. would benefit from access to strategic resources and military positioning ^[7]
However, this conflicts with Greenland's move toward independence and self-determination ^[5]
The narrative of Greenland as a potential acquisition undermines its status as an autonomous territory with its own political aspirations

Past Checks

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Fact check: Who shared interest in annexing greenland