​GOP Rep. Peter King said he would support President Trump’s controversial suggestion to purchase Greenland because of its “strategic importance” in the region to act as a check on Russia.

“I would [vote to buy Greenland],” he told John Catsimatidis Sunday on “The Cats Roundtable” on AM 970. “I never thought that much about Greenland before but the fact is that Harry Truman tried to buy it in the 1940s after World War II because of its strategic importance and influence.”

The New York lawmaker said the president’s critics should back the idea of purchasing Greenland from Denmark.

“​T​he very people​ ​that are yelling about Russia’s influence – somehow ​suggesting that ​Trump is somehow involved ​with the Russians – this is one way to stop the Russians.”

​The president last week raised the idea of buying Greenland – even though Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the island is not for sale and called the idea “absurd.”​

​Trump, who said Greenland would give the US a strategic advantage over the Russian military, later called Frederiksen’s remarks “nasty” and canceled a scheduled trip to Denmark next month.