The United States needs to take control of Greenland for international security, President Donald Trump said in remarks at the Oval Office Friday as Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha, were visiting the island nation.
"It's not a question of do you think we can do without it," Trump told reporters Friday, in an appearance airing live on Newsmax. "We can't. If you look at Greenland right now, if you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place."
Greenland is a self-governing territory under the umbrella of Denmark, which manages its defense, foreign relations, and monetary policy.
Trump added that control of Greenland "is very important for the peace of the world, not [just] us, the peace of the entire world. I think Denmark understands it. I think Europe understands it and if they don't, we're going to have to explain it to them."
He added that the United States will not be "relying on Denmark or anybody else to take care of that situation."
The governments of both Greenland and Denmark have spoken out against any takeover of the territory, and Trump insisted Friday that "we get along very well with Denmark," which does "a lot of business in the United States."
"I think everybody wants to see that work out," he said about a U.S. takeover of Greenland.
He added that the administration isn't talking only about peace for the United States by taking control of the island, but about "world peace."
"We're talking about international security," he said. "Right now, you look at it, you have warships all over the place going through right along Greenland. We're not going to let that happen. We cannot let that happen. Or if it's going to happen, we have to be protective of our country. And more importantly, really, not only our country, of the world."
He added that the situation is more urgent because of the growth of modern-day weaponry, where 100 years ago, it would have been "less so" because of the "water roadways" around Greenland.
"They're opening up icebreakers out there," said Trump. "They're headed right into China, right into Russia, and we have no choice."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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