Donald Trump's ambition to seize Greenland has been comapred to the 2014 annexation of Crimea under Vladimir Putin. The US president is adamant that he should lay claim over the world's largest island, currently part of Denmark, which an expert has said is reminiscent of the invasion 11 years ago. Claus Mathiesen, a lecturer at Denmark's Defence Academy and former military attache in Ukraine, said Greenland is currently in a similar situation to Crimea before the annexation.

He wrote on X: "What is happening now in Greenland is reminiscent of the time before the annexation of Crimea. American politicians will come in droves and agitate for Greenland to be American. Promise that everything will be much better." Crimea was taken by force from Ukraine after Russian special forces seized strategic sites and occupied parliament.

They then dismissed the government and set up pro-Russian leadership under Sergey Aksyonov. This was followed by a referendum, the result of which was overwhelmingly in favour of Crimea joining Russia, according to the authorities installed by Moscow.

The next day, Crimea formally became a part of Russia, with the Kremlin militarising the peninsula and warning against foreign intervention.

Mr Trump has repeatedly stated his aim of seizing Greenland for "national security purposes" as it's in a strategic location and home to many natural resources.

He said he would take it "one way or another" mere weeks ago in his address to Congress.

Greenland's Prime Minister, Mute Egede, said how the island is used is "Greenland's business".

He told Reuters: "Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom."

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen echoed this sentiment, saying that "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders".

This comes as Vice President JD Vance's wife Usha will travel to Greenland on Thursday with a US delegation, which Prime Minister Egede labelled as "highly aggressive".