US President Donald Trump reasserted that the United States needs Greenland for its national security and said a special envoy he appointed to the Arctic island would "lead the charge".
Mr Trump named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry on Sunday as his special envoy to Greenland, drawing renewed criticism from Denmark and Greenland over Washington's interest in the mineral-rich Arctic island.
Mr Trump has advocated for Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, to become part of the United States, citing its strategic importance and mineral resources.
Mr Landry, who took office as governor in January 2024, publicly supports the idea.
"We need Greenland for national security, not for minerals... If you take a look at Greenland, you look up and down the coast, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.
"We need it for national security. We have to have it," Mr Trump told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen earlier said in a joint statement that Greenland belongs to Greenlanders.
Watch: Trump says US has to have Greenland
"You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security," they said.
"Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the US shall not take over Greenland."
Mr Landry, in a post on X, thanked Mr Trump: "It's an honor to serve ... in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US. This in no way affects my position as Governor of Louisiana!"
The Trump administration put further pressure on Copenhagen yesterday, when it suspended leases for five large offshore wind projects being built off the East Coast of the US, including two being developed by Denmark's state-controlled Orsted.
Greenland, a former Danish colony with a population of about 57,000, has the right to declare independence under a 2009 agreement but remains heavily reliant on fishing and Danish subsidies.
Its strategic position between Europe and North America makes it a key site for the US ballistic missile defence system, while its mineral wealth has heightened US interest in reducing reliance on Chinese exports.
After Mr Trump made the appointment, Greenland's Nielsen commented on Facebook: "We have woken up again to a new announcement from the US president. This may sound big, but it does not change anything for us. We decide our own future."
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he would summon US Ambassador Kenneth Howery, who had pledged "mutual respect" during a recent visit to Greenland.
"Out of nowhere, there is now a special U.S. presidential representative, who, according to himself, is tasked with taking over Greenland. This is, of course, completely unacceptable," Mr Rasmussen told TV2.
Denmark has sought to repair strained ties with Greenland over the past year, while also trying to ease tensions with the Trump administration by investing in Arctic defence to address US criticisms about inadequate security.
"It is a difficult situation that our allies for a lifetime are putting us in," Prime Minister Frederiksen said in an Instagram post.
Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen, a political science professor at the University of Copenhagen, told Reuters: "This appointment shows that all the money Denmark has invested in Greenland, in the defence of the Arctic, and all the friendly things we have said to the Americans, have had no effect at all."
Trump unveils 'Trump-class' battleships
Meanwhile, President Trump announced plans for a new "Trump class" of battleships, marking the start of an expanded naval buildup and signaling increased scrutiny of defense contractors over production delays and cost overruns.
Mr Trump said the new battleships would be larger, faster and "100 times more powerful" than any previously built, forming the centerpiece of what he called an expanded "Golden Fleet" aimed at cementing US naval dominance.
The program will begin with two vessels and is expected to grow to between 20 and 25 ships, Mr Trump said. The first of the class will be christened the USS Defiant.
The announcement represents the latest example of the president rebranding an aspect of the federal government in his image.
Mr Trump, who has previously criticised the appearance of US warships, said he will be personally involved in the designs.
He said the ships will weigh more than 30,000 tons, larger than current destroyers, and be equipped with the latest technology, including artificial intelligence and directed energy lasers.
"We haven't built a battleship since 1994. These cutting-edge vessels will be some of the most lethal surface warfare ships ... other than our submarines," Mr Trump said.
In addition to carrying conventional naval guns, the new battleships will be equipped with nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missiles, US Navy Secretary John Phelan said, appearing with Mr Trump in Florida for the announcement.
Some US officials have warned that a failure to build new battleships in recent years has handed an advantage to economic and military rival China. Mr Trump down played China's influence onthe decision, saying the expansion was "a counter to everybody."
He said the naval expansion would be paired with renewed pressure on defense contractors to speed up production and rein in costs. He said he will meet with major defense firms next week to address delays and overruns, and to examine whether executive compensation, stock buybacks and dividends are contributing to missed production targets.
"We don't want to have executives making $50 million a year, issuing big dividends to everybody, and also doing buy backs" while production of F35s and other jets languish, Mr Trump said.
Reuters reported last week that the administration was planning an executive order to limit dividends, buy backs and executive pay for defense contractors whose projects are over-budget and delayed.
Mr Trump and the Pentagon have been complaining about the expensive, slow-moving and entrenched nature of the defense industry, promising dramatic changes that would make the production of war equipment more nimble.
Besides the new battleship class, the expanded fleet envisions increasing numbers of other war vessels, including introduction of a new, smaller class of frigates previously announced by the Navy, Mr Trump said.
