COPENHAGEN, Denmark

Greenland's prime minister on Wednesday strongly rejected US President Donald Trump's recent remarks calling for the acquisition of the country's sovereign territory, emphasizing that Greenlanders have no desire to join the US.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Mute B. Egede underscored Greenland’s sovereignty and identity. “We are Kalaallit (Greenlanders). The Americans and their leader must understand that. We are not for sale and cannot just be taken. Because our future is decided by us in Greenland,” he wrote.

Egede also stressed that Denmark, which oversees Greenland’s foreign and security policy, shares this stance. “And neither do Danes,” he added, reaffirming that neither Greenland nor Denmark supports any notion of US ownership over the Arctic territory.

On Tuesday, Trump declared that the US would secure Greenland “one way or another,” emphasizing its strategic importance.

“We need Greenland for national security and even international security,” Trump said during his address to a joint session of Congress. “We’re working with everybody involved to try and get it, but we need it really for international world security, and I think we’re going to get it one way or the other; we’re going to get it.”

He also extended his support for the people of Greenland, saying: “We strongly support your right to determine your future, and if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America.”

Greenland, the world’s largest island, has been an autonomous territory of Denmark since 1979. Located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, it is rich in minerals and strategically located in the Arctic. The island has attracted growing interest from the US due to its vast natural resources and location.