Trump says U.S. 'needs' Greenland for national security reasons | CBC News

World U.S. President Donald Trump has returned to his rhetoric about taking over Greenland, naming a new special U.S. envoy to the nation.(Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters) Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, seen here in June, has been appointed by Trump as special envoy to Greenland.(Kathleen Flynn/Reuters) Trump says U.S. 'needs' Greenland for national security reasons U.S. president reiterated his desire to take over the semi-autonomous Arctic nation after naming special envoy The leaders of Denmark and Greenland insisted Monday that the United States won't take over Greenland and demanded respect for their territorial integrity after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the appointment of a special envoy to the semi-autonomous territory. Trump's announcement that Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry would be the envoy prompted a new flare-up of tensions over Washington's interest in the vast territory of Denmark, a NATO ally. During an announcement Monday about new warships, Trump said the U.S. "needs" Greenland for national security and that Landry wanted to be part of that goal. "We have to have it and he wanted to lead the charge," Trump said. 'Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders' Denmark's foreign minister told Danish broadcasters that he would summon the U.S. ambassador to his ministry in response. "We have said it before. Now, we say it again. National borders and the sovereignty of states are rooted in international law," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said in a joint statement. "They are fundamental principles. You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security." "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the U.S. shall not take over Greenland," they added in the statement emailed by Frederiksen's office. "We expect respect for our joint territorial integrity." WATCH | U.S. eyes Greenland: Trump called repeatedly during his presidential transition and the early months of his second term for U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland, and has not ruled out military force to take control of the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island. In March, Vice-President JD Vance visited a remote U.S. military base in Greenland and accused Denmark of under-investing there. The issue gradually drifted out of the headlines, but in August, Danish officials summoned the top U.S. diplomat in Copenhagen following a report that at least three people with connections to Trump had carried out covert influence operations in Greenland. On Sunday, Trump announced Landry's appointment, saying on social media that "Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country's Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World." Landry wrote in a post on social media that "it's an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S." The Trump administration did not offer any warning ahead of the announcement, according to a Danish government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. 'Changes nothing,' says Greenland PM Deputy White House press secretary Anna Kelly said Monday that Trump decided to create...

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