US says it has no plans to increase military presence in Greenland

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Embassy building is pictured in Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2, 2017. Picture taken October 2, 2017. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS/File Photo

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -The United States has no current plans to increase its military presence in Greenland, the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen said on Thursday, after President-elect Donald Trump expressed renewed interest in acquiring the vast Arctic island.

Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, said this week that U.S. control of the strategically important island was an "absolute necessity" and did not rule out using military or economic action such as tariffs against Denmark to make it happen.