US President Donald Trump said the United States needs Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, citing growing “Russian and Chinese influence” on the strategically located island.

Trump made the remarks on Sunday while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from Florida, where he had spent his vacation.

He described Greenland as having a “very strong strategic location,” claiming it is “currently surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.”

When asked about the possibility of US intervention in Greenland, Trump said: “We need Greenland for our national security.”

He added that US control of Greenland would serve broader Western interests, arguing that the European Union “also needs it” for its security.