President-elect Donald Trump signaled on Sunday that the U.S. must control Greenland, the largest island in the world, for national security purposes.

The remarks from Trump were buried in a social media post where he announced that he was nominating Ken Howery to be his U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, the country that controls Greenland.

Trump said, “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”

Controlling Greenland would give the U.S. a big leg up in countering threats from Russia and China in controlling the Arctic.

Not only would controlling Greenland counter the significant military and scientific build up both countries have invested there, it would put the U.S. in position to win the race for the Arctic.

🚨 President Trump announces @KenHowery as his choice for U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark pic.twitter.com/aRCCpR1T8A

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) December 22, 2024

The rest of Trump’s statement focused on Howery’s background as “a World renowned entrepreneur, investor, and public servant, who served our Nation brilliantly during my First Term as U.S. Ambassador to Sweden, where he led efforts to increase Defense, Security, and Economic Cooperation between our Countries.”

“As a Co-Founder of PayPal and venture capital fund, Founders Fund, Ken turned American Innovation and Tech leadership into Global success stories, and that experience will be invaluable in representing us abroad,” Trump added.

After saying that the U.S. must own and control Greenland, Trump said that Howery would “do a wonderful job in representing the interests of the United States.”