Greenland says it ‘cannot accept’ U.S. takeover after latest Trump threats

'As part of the Danish Commonwealth, Greenland is a member of NATO and the defence of Greenland must therefore be through NATO,' the government statement said.

Greenland’s government and prime minister issued separate statements on Monday pushing back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest comments about taking over the territory, which Trump has said will happen “one way or another.”

The Greenlandic government statement said it “cannot accept” the escalating U.S. rhetoric “in any way” and reaffirmed its position as both a part of Denmark and the NATO military alliance.

“As part of the Danish Commonwealth, Greenland is a member of NATO and the defence of Greenland must therefore be through NATO,” the government statement said.

“The government coalition in Greenland believes that Greenland will forever be part of the Western defence alliance.”

In a Facebook post, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen acknowledged the “international attention” on the territory’s future reflected its “strategic importance” for Arctic security.

Yet he underscored that discussions about strengthening Greenland’s defences must be held in “close cooperation” with all NATO allies, “including the United States and in cooperation with Denmark.”

“We are a democratic society that makes our own decisions,” Nielsen wrote. “And our actions are based on international law and common law.”

The statements came after Trump once again reiterated his argument that the U.S. needs to “take Greenland” while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.