Trump says US control of Greenland ‘vital’ for air defense

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Wednesday that US control of Greenland was “vital” for his planned Golden Dome air and missile defense system.

“The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building,” Trump, who has vowed to seize the Arctic island from ally Denmark, wrote on social media.

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable.”

Trump’s post came early on a day when top Danish and Greenlandic diplomats were to visit the White House for talks on Greenland with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

READ MORE: Greenland says it should be defended by NATO

Hours before the meeting was due to start, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen sought to ease US concerns about security in Greenland, telling AFP that Denmark was boosting its military presence there and was in talks with allies on “an increased NATO presence in the Arctic.”

Trump for his part said that NATO “should be leading the way” in building the multi-layer missile defense system.

“IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” Trump wrote.

The US leader has repeatedly threatened to take over the vast, strategic and sparsely populated Arctic island, and he has sounded emboldened since ordering a deadly January 3 attack in Venezuela that removed its president.