Trump Reiterates Plan To Annex Greenland For 'International Security', NATO Chief Distances From US President's Remark

US President Donald Trump has reignited his controversial ambition to annex Greenland, arguing that American control of the Arctic island is essential for “international security”.

His comments, made during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, have triggered a strong rebuke from Greenlandic leaders, who remain committed to self-rule and eventual independence from Denmark, Economic Times reported.

“Well, I think it'll happen,” Trump told reporters, before addressing Rutte. “And I’m just thinking, I didn’t give it much thought before, but I’m sitting with a man that could be very instrumental. You know, Mark, we need that for international security, not just security, international. We have a lot of our favourite players, you know, cruising around the coast, and we have to be careful. And we’ll be talking to you,” he said referring to the NATO chief.

Greenlandic leaders were swift in their rejection. Jens-Frederik Nielsen, leader of the centre-right Demokraatit party, which recently secured an election victory, told Sky News, “We don’t want to be Americans. No, we don’t want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders, and we want our own independence in the future.”

Outgoing Prime Minister Múte Egede also condemned Trump’s rhetoric, stating, “The American president has once again evoked the idea of annexing us. I absolutely cannot accept that.” He called for an emergency meeting of Greenlandic leaders, declaring, “Enough is enough.”

Trump has continued to push the idea of US control over Greenland, refusing to rule out military or economic coercion. “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two. But I can say this — we need them for economic security,” CBS News reported.