While the autonomous Danish territory has been quick to say it isn't for sale, its vast and mostly untapped mineral resources are in great demand. Jagged grey peaks suddenly appear before us, as the motorboat navigates choppy coastal waters and dramatic fjords at Greenland's southern tip.

With the international spotlight on Greenland, Múte Egede, the island’s prime minister, used his New Year’s address to call for complete independence from Denmark: he declared it was “now time to take the next step for our country” to remove the “shackles of the colonial era and move on”.

What drives the United States’ bold geopolitical ambitions toward Greenland and Canada? It boils down to economic and national security.

Here’s what happened the last three times the U.S. tried to acquire Greenland.

President Donald Trump has said he believes the US will gain control of Greenland, after showing renewed interest in acquiring the autonomous Danish territory in recent weeks. "I think we're going to have it," he told reporters on Air Force One on Saturday, adding that the island's 57,000 residents "want to be with us".

Denmark’s prime minister said the US should remember that the Nordic country has lost troops fighting in US-led wars and always has supported its large partner, after President Donald Trump escalated his demands over Greenland.

President Donald Trump told Denmark ’s prime minister he is serious about taking over Greenland in a “fiery” phone call last week, the Financial Times reports. Trump and Mette Frederiksen spoke on the phone for 45 minutes last week after the president said he wanted the US to take Greenland, despite officials repeatedly saying it’s not for sale.

President Trump had a “firm” phone conversation with Denmark’s prime minister last week to convey his serious intentions of acquiring Greenland, according to a report citing officials privy to the talk.

The story goes that Trump and Frederiksen spoke on the phone last week for about 45 minutes in what was expected to be a bit of a feeling-out between the two parties, given Trump’s very public declaration that he would like to take Greenland off Denmark’s hands.

Anders Vistisen, a Danish member of the European Parliament, has told U.S. President Donald Trump to "f*** off" after Trump again expressed interest in purchasing the island of Greenland. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email.

The president has repeatedly discussed his desire to "retake" the Panama Canal and take possession of Greenland.