‘We need that for international security,’ Trump said of the island.
President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed optimism about the United States acquiring Greenland, highlighting the effort as vital to geopolitical strategy and suggesting the United States could take possession of the autonomous territory.
The president made the remarks as he hosted NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House to negotiate trade and security agreements, among other issues.
“I think it will happen. I’m sitting with a man that could be very instrumental,” Trump said during the Oval Office meeting while gesturing toward Rutte. “We need that for international security.”
Rutte acknowledged a need to maintain security in the region, noting the presence of Chinese ships in the area, and welcomed U.S. leadership, but sought to distance NATO from Greenland annexation talks.
“I don’t want to direct NATO in that, but … it’s very important to make sure that the region … stays safe,” Rutte said. “We know things are changing there, and we have to be there.”
General elections held March 11 in Greenland proved favorable, from the president’s perspective, as the center-right Democrat Party, led by Jens Frederik Nielsen, secured a slim plurality of parliamentary seats.
“The person that did the best is a very good person as far as we’re concerned,“ Trump said. ”And so we’ll be talking about it, and it’s very important.”
The pair also discussed the war in Ukraine and a range of other global security issues.
“At this moment, we have people talking in Russia, we have representatives over there,” Trump said.
“We’re getting words of things going okay in Russia, and it doesn’t mean anything until we hear what the final out come is, but they have very serious discussions going on right now with President [Vladimir] Putin and others, and hopefully they all want to end this nightmare.”
During his three-day trip, Rutte is also scheduled to meet with senior administration officials and members of Congress.
Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO allies for not contributing enough to the alliance. Since his first term, he warned that the United States might withhold support if other members failed to meet their financial commitments.
By Emel Akan and Travis Gillmore
