Trump has talked about acquiring Greenland for years. Here's what he wants and how the island's leaders are reacting.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly offered, dating back to his first administration, a desire to secure Greenland for the U.S. as Russian and Chinese presence grows in the Arctic.

A letter sent to employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on Friday said that most positions would be eliminated in the coming months through reductions in force. Some functions of the agency,

President Donald Trump has made U.S. control of Greenland a pillar of his second term’s burgeoning foreign policy.

Vice President Vance looked to appeal to Greenland by urging it to side with the US, not Russia or China, after it seeks independence from Denmark.

The trip came as Trump also significantly escalated his rhetoric about his desire to control the sparsely populated, semiautonomous Danish territory.

"There was so much excitement around Usha's visit to Greenland this Friday that I decided I didn't want her to have all that fun by herself, and so I'm going to join her," Vance said in a video announcement Tuesday.

A high-powered US delegation arrived in Greenland as Trump talks about acquiring the island. 'Do you think we can do without it?,' Trump said. 'We can't.'

The vice-president says Russia and China have increased footprints in the area and the world cannot "bury our heads in the sand".

Russian President Vladimir Putin says President Donald Trump's ambitions for Greenland has "nothing to do" with Russia as Vice President JD Vance lands to assess security base.