The island briefly fell under the protection of the United States, which was interested in its critical weather stations, after Germany occupied Denmark during World War II. President Harry Truman offered $100 million − about $1.3 billion today − in gold to Denmark for Greenland after the war but they declined the offer.

Greenland's prime minister says "Greenland is ours" and cannot be taken or bought, in defiance of the claim by President Donald Trump that the United States will acquire the territory "one way or another.