President Donald Trump signaled on Friday that the United States has no choice but to acquire Greenland from Denmark for national security reasons.
The president doubled down on his push for the island nation while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office — just a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Trump was dead serious about taking over the island.
“We need Greenland very importantly, for international security, we have to have Greenland,” he said. “It’s not a question of, ‘Do you think we can do without it?’ 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, and we’re not going to be able to do that. We’re not relying on Denmark or anybody else to take care of that situation.”
“And we’re not talking about peace for the United States,” he continued. “We’re talking about world peace. We’re talking about international security. And 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.”
The president said that “modern day weaponry” made Greenland “very important” from a strategic defense standpoint.
“If you notice, also some of those, you could call them roadways, they’re water roadways, but some of those areas are opening up and they’re opening up,” he said. “Ice breakers out there, they’re opening them. And by just nature, they’re opening up and they’re headed right into China, right into Russia, and we have no choice.”
WATCH:
President Donald Trump signaled on Friday that the United States has no choice but to acquire Greenland from Denmark for national security reasons.
The president doubled down on his push for the island nation while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office — just a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Trump was dead serious about taking over the island.
“We need Greenland very importantly, for international security, we have to have Greenland,” he said. “It’s not a question of, ‘Do you think we can do without it?’ 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, and we’re not going to be able to do that. We’re not relying on Denmark or anybody else to take care of that situation.”
“And we’re not talking about peace for the United States,” he continued. “We’re talking about world peace. We’re talking about international security. And 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.”
The president said that “modern day weaponry” made Greenland “very important” from a strategic defense standpoint.
“If you notice, also some of those, you could call them roadways, they’re water roadways, but some of those areas are opening up and they’re opening up,” he said. “Ice breakers out there, they’re opening them. And by just nature, they’re opening up and they’re headed right into China, right into Russia, and we have no choice.”
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