Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Sunday urged US President Donald Trump to stop threatening to take over Greenland, after he reiterated his intention to do so in an interview with The Atlantic.
"It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the US needing to take over Greenland. The US has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish Kingdom," Frederiksen said in a statement on Sunday.
Trump told the magazine: "We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense."
He spoke a day after the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and the president said Washington would run the Latin American country.
This raised concerns in Denmark that the same could happen with Greenland, a Danish territory.
"I would therefore strongly urge the US stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people, who have very clearly said that they are not for sale," Frederiksen said.
The Greenlandic prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular office hours.
Strategically important island
On December 21, Trump named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland, drawing renewed criticism from Denmark and Greenland over Washington's interest in the mineral-rich Arctic island.
Trump has advocated for Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, to become part of the United States. Landry publicly supports the idea.
The Arctic island's strategic position between Europe and North America makes it a key site for the US ballistic missile defense system. At the same time, its mineral wealth is attractive as the US hopes to reduce its reliance on Chinese exports.
Greenland, a former Danish colony, has the right to declare independence under a 2009 agreement but depends heavily on Danish subsidies.
Denmark has sought to repair strained ties with Greenland over the past year, while also trying to ease tensions with the Trump administration by investing in Arctic defense.