US needs Greenland for international security: Trump

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Monday that Greenland is "necessary" for international security.

"Greenland is a wonderful place. We need it for international security," Trump told reporters while signing executive orders after returning to the Oval Office.

Trump was sworn in for a second term, heralding a major shift in the US government that is widely expected to send shockwaves through American society and the world.

"Greenland is necessary, not for us. It's necessary for international security," he said.

Trump signaled that the US wanted to acquire Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark, and he previously declined to rule out the use of military force to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.

Greenland, the world’s largest island, has been an autonomous territory of Denmark since 1979. Located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, it is home to a US military base and holds strategic importance, as it offers the shortest route from North America to Europe.