Donald Trump spent a noteworthy chunk of the transition period provoking controversy—and insulting NATO allies—with his proposals for expanding the U.S. Maybe most prominently, he has repeatedly discussed buying Greenland from Denmark,

From the Reconstruction era to the Cold War, multiple administrations have tried (and failed) to acquire the Arctic island. Here’s why Greenland has always remained out of reach—and why it always mattered so much.

With help from Nahal Toosi, Joe Gould, John Sakellariadis, Maggie Miller and Daniel Lippman On the day he took office, President DONALD TRUMP insisted that U.S. control of Greenland was necessary for American security.