Washington, 14 January 2026 (dpa/MIA) - Greenland needs to be "in the hands" of the United States, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, hours before high-stakes talks in Washington.

"The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security," Trump wrote on Truth Social, citing risks posed by Russia and China.

"NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable," he said.

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host Danish and Greenlandic officials at the White House later in the day.

Trump has been fixated on Greenland, a vast Arctic island that has been part of the Danish Kingdom for 300 years, and has not ruled out using the military to gain control of it.

Both Greenland and Denmark have said the island is not for sale and have denounced suggestions that force could be used to seize it.

MIA file photo