Trump Asserts U.S. Needs Greenland for National Security

Florida: U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated on Monday that the United States needs to acquire Greenland for national security reasons. During a press conference in Florida, Mr. Trump stated that the U.S. needs Greenland for national security more than for minerals. He pointed out that the coastline of Greenland is heavily traversed by Russian and Chinese ships, making it essential for the U.S. to possess the territory for national security. He also emphasized that the special envoy he appointed to oversee the mission on Greenland will lead the push for this plan. According to Thai News Agency, on Sunday, President Trump announced the appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland, a move that has sparked renewed criticism from both Denmark and Greenland. In the past, Trump has tried to push for Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, to become part of the United States, citing its strategic importance and natural resources. Meanwhile, Mr. Landry, who only took office a s governor in January 2024, has also publicly expressed support for the idea. Denmark's Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, and Greenland's Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, previously issued a joint statement declaring that Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and affirming that no one can annex the territory of another country, regardless of whether international security concerns are cited as justification. They clearly stated that Greenland is the right of the Greenlanders and that the United States cannot seize it. The Trump administration also increased pressure on Denmark on Monday by announcing the suspension of concessions for five large offshore wind power projects off the U.S. east coast, including two projects operated by the Danish state-owned company Orsted.