JAKARTA - The United States needs to control Denmark's Greenland "for defense," President Donald Trump told The Atlantic in an interview.
"But we do need Greenland, of course. We need it for defense," he explained, quoted by TASS (5/1).
According to President Trump, Greenland is "surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships."
This latest statement echoes his words last month, when he said the Uncle Sam's country needed Greenland, dismissing the goal of controlling its minerals.
"We need Greenland for national security. Not for minerals. We have so many locations for minerals and oil. We have more oil than any other country in the world. We need Greenland for national security," President Trump told reporters at his residence in Mar-a-Lago near West Palm Beach, Florida.
"And if you look at Greenland, you look up and down the coast, you'll see Russian and Chinese ships everywhere. We need it for national security. We have to have it," he said.
However, he criticized Denmark's role in the island's affairs. President Trump expressed his opinion, Copenhagen did not allocate the necessary funds for this purpose and did not provide "military protection" for Greenland.
"They said Denmark was there 300 years ago or more by boat. Well, we've also been there by boat, I'm sure. So we have to solve everything," said President Trump, without elaborating.
Last month, President Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as the United States special envoy to Greenland, Anadolu reported.
President Trump is known to have repeatedly stated that Greenland, an autonomous territory within Denmark, should join the United States. He previously described Greenland's ownership as an "absolute necessity" for US economic security, comparing the acquisition to a "big real estate deal."
However, both Denmark and Greenland have rejected any proposal to sell the territory, with the Danish government asserting its continued sovereignty over the island.
The island's independence is a key issue in Greenland's parliamentary elections in March this year. Polls show that the majority of Greenlanders want it, but they have not decided when and how the separation will take place.
A poll conducted in January showed only 6 percent of the population supports joining the United States.
In May, in an interview with NBC News, the US President did not rule out the use of force to solve the Greenland problem. However, earlier, US Vice President J.D. Vance assured at the end of March, the US Government expects Greenland to gain independence and join the United States peacefully, with Washington not threatening to use military force.
Greenland is an autonomous region of Denmark. In 1951, Washington and Copenhagen, in addition to their allies' commitment to NATO, signed the Greenland Defense Agreement. According to the agreement, the United States is committed to defending the island from aggression.
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