President Trump restated his belief this week that Greenland will eventually become part of the United States. “I think it’ll happen,” Trump said when asked by a reporter about the possible U.S. annexation of the massive but sparsely populated Arctic island during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Thursday.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Mark Rutte demurred on Thursday when President Donald Trump baited him into backing his dream of the United States annexing Greenland. Rutte—who has been nicknamed NATO’s “Trump whisperer”—shared laughs with the president throughout their Oval Office meeting on Thursday.

President Donald Trump told NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Thursday that U.S. control of Greenland is necessary to enhance international security, escalating his campaign to annex the strategic Arctic island.