Trump to the people of Greenland: 'We will make you rich'

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his interest in acquiring Greenland in his address to Congress on Tuesday, painting a picture of prosperity and safety for the "incredible people" of the island, an autonomous territory of the kingdom of Denmark.

"We will keep you safe, we will make you rich, and together, we will take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before," Trump said.

"It's a very small population, a very, very large piece of land, and very, very important for military security," he added.

Opinion polls suggest that most Greenlanders oppose joining the U.S., although a majority favor eventual independence from Denmark.

Even before starting his second term as president, Trump said he hoped to make Greenland a part of the United States, even though NATO ally Denmark says it is not for sale.

Greenland's strategic location and rich mineral resources could benefit the U.S. It lies along the shortest route from Europe to North America, vital for the U.S. ballistic missile warning system.

"We need it really for international world security," Trump said.

In his speech, Trump said he had a message for the people of Greenland. "We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America," Trump said.

He said his administration was "working with everybody involved" to try to get Greenland, but also added, "I think we're going to get it, one way or the other, we're gonna get it," to laughter from his fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives chamber.

Trump's interest in Greenland has invigorated that country's independence movement, sparking calls for swift secession discussions with Denmark, its former colonial ruler.

But Greenland's ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit party has said it will not rush an independence vote through after a March 11 general election, cautioning about possible economic and welfare implications.

"The future of Greenland is really for the people of Greenland to decide," Denmark's U.N. Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen told reporters on Monday. "Independence is possible and they have the right to self-determination."

Lassen said Denmark agreed with the Trump administration that in the current geopolitical environment there was a need to look at further strengthening security around the Arctic and "that's something we've been working together with NATO and the U.S. on for a while."

"We have a very close transatlantic bond with the United States. We've been working very closely with the U.S. on security matters related to Greenland and the Arctic for decades," she said.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; additional reporting by Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by Don Durfee and Howard Goller)