President Trump told Denmark’s leader he wanted to take over Greenland, European officials say. Denmark has asked its E.U. allies not to inflame the situation until Mr. Trump’s intentions are clearer.

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 56,000 residents "want to be with us".

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.

In 1865, in the wake of the Civil War, the U.S. began looking to expand its influence on the world stage. This happened at precisely the moment when Russia, having just lost the Crimean War, was seeking to counterbalance British power in the Pacific. This proved to be the perfect recipe for American expansion in the Arctic.

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.

US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that the United States will gain control over Greenland. He stated that 57,000 island residents supposedly want this, informs the BBC. Trump made the statement aboard Air Force One on Saturday,