PHOTO COLLECTION: Election 2024 Trump Presidential Candidate

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he arrives to speak at a campaign event at Nassau Coliseum, Wednesday, Sept.18, 2024, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak to the National Fraternal Order of Police fall meeting, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump attends a town hall campaign event at Macomb Community College, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign event at Alro Steel, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in Potterville, Mich. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Mint Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the spin room after a presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks for a campaign rally at PPL Center, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in Allentown, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump wave at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak during a campaign rally at the Suburban Collection Showplace, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Novi, Mich. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump stands on stage after speaking during a campaign rally at Thomas & Mack Center, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a Turning Point Action campaign rally, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Duluth, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a faith town hall with Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones at Christ Chapel Zebulon, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Zebulon, Ga. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a town hall at Lancaster County Convention Center, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Lancaster, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a town hall at Lancaster County Convention Center, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Lancaster, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump watches as a video featuring Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris plays during a campaign event, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump waves at a town hall in Lancaster, Pa., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump smiles at a town hall in Lancaster, Pa., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the Suburban Collection Showplace, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 in Novi, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally at McCamish Pavilion Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Atlanta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that NATO should help the U.S. acquire Greenland and anything less than American control is unacceptable, hours before Vice President JD Vance was to host Danish and Greenlandic officials for talks.

In a post on his social media site, Trump reiterated his argument that the U.S. “needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security.” He added that “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it” and that otherwise Russia or China would — “AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!”

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”

Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, is at the center of a geopolitical storm as Trump insists he wants to own it — and residents of its capital, Nuuk, say it isn't for sale. The White House hasn't ruled out taking the Arctic island by force.

Vance is to meet Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt in Washington later Wednesday to discuss Greenland.

Along the narrow, snow-covered main street in Nuuk, international journalists and camera crews have been stopping passersby every few meters (feet) asking them for their thoughts on a crisis which Denmark’s prime minister has warned could potentially trigger the end of NATO.

Tuuta Mikaelsen, a 22-year-old student, told The Associated Press in Nuuk that she hoped American officials would get the message to “back off."

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told a news conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday that "if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU.”

Asked later Tuesday about Nielsen's comments, Trump replied: “I disagree with him. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know anything about him. But, that’s going to be a big problem for him.”

Greenland is strategically important because, as climate change causes the ice to melt, it opens up the possibility of shorter trade routes to Asia. That also could make it easier to extract and transport untapped deposits of critical minerals which are needed for computers and phones.

Trump said in Wednesday's post that Greenland is “vital” to the United States' Golden Dome missile defense program. He also has said he wants the island to expand America’s security and has cited what he says is the threat from Russian and Chinese ships as a reason to control it.

But both experts and Greenlanders question that claim.

“The only Chinese I see is when I go to the fast food market,” heating engineer Lars Vintner said. He said he frequently goes sailing and hunting and has never seen Russian or Chinese ships.

His friend, Hans Nørgaard, agreed, adding “what has come out of the mouth of Donald Trump about all these ships is just fantasy.”

Denmark has said the U.S. — which already has a military presence — can boost its bases on Greenland. For that reason, “security is just a cover,” Vintner said, suggesting Trump actually wants to own the island to make money from its untapped natural resources.

Nørgaard said he filed a police complaint in Nuuk against Trump’s “aggressive” behavior because, he said, American officials are threatening the people of Greenland and NATO.

Mikaelsen, the student, said Greenlanders benefit from being part of Denmark, which provides free health care, education and payments during study, and “I don’t want the U.S. to take that away from us."

Following the White House meeting, Løkke Rasmussen and Motzfeldt, along with Denmark’s ambassador to the U.S., are due to meet with senators from the Arctic Caucus in the U.S. Congress.

Two lawmakers — Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican — have introduced bipartisan legislation that would prohibit the use of funds from the U.S. Defense or State departments to annex or take control of Greenland or the sovereign territory of any NATO member state without that ally’s consent or authorization from the North Atlantic Council.

A bipartisan delegation of lawmakers is also heading to Copenhagen at the end of the week to meet with Danish and Greenlandic officials.

Last week, Denmark’s major European allies joined Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in issuing a statement declaring that Greenland belongs to its people and that “it is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”

On Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told RTL radio that his country plans to open a consulate in Greenland on Feb. 6, following a decision last summer to open the diplomatic outpost.

“Attacking another NATO member would make no sense; it would even be contrary to the interests of the United States. And I’m hearing more and more voices in the United States saying this,” Barrot said. “So this blackmail must obviously stop.”

Geir Moulson in Berlin, Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Catherine Gaschka in Paris contributed to this report.

A fisherman carries a bucket onto his boat in the harbor of Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A boat travels at the sea inlet in Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

People walk near the church in Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A bird stands on a boat at the harbour of Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

People walk along a street in downtown of Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)