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Donald Trump Junior, son of the future US president, has traveled to Greenland. According to his own statements, it is a purely private trip. His father had previously reiterated his interest in the largest island in the world, saying "Greenland is a great place and its people will benefit enormously if and when it becomes part of our country." During his first term as president, Trump suggested buying Greenland. Such a process is nonsense, says political scientist and Greenland expert Dr. Michael Paul of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. The first thoughts about buying or exchanging territory for Greenland date back to the 19th century. The Americans would hardly want to start a new phase of colonialism, says Paul. Rather, what is needed is a democratically secured, transparent process and not the interests of a single family. The Danish Foreign Ministry took note of Donald Trump Junior's visit, but did not comment further on the situation because "it is not an official American visit." In Greenland itself, calls for independence are growing louder. The island, with 56,000 inhabitants, was colonized by Denmark in the 18th century and has had autonomous status since 1979. Due to its location in the Arctic, its proximity to Russia and the suspected mineral resources there, Greenland has great strategic value. There is also an important US military base on the island. What is behind Trump's plan to make Greenland part of the USA? Could the future US president actually buy the island? ZDFheute spoke live about this with Dr. Michael Paul from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. ---- Here on ZDFheute News you can find out what is happening in the world and what concerns us all: We provide insight into the world of news, explain the background and address social debates. Discuss with us in live streams and form your own opinion with the facts that we present to you. Subscribe to our channel so you don't miss anything. You can always stay up to date at https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten. #trump #greenland #usa