Greenland’s prime minister firmly rejected claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday that America intends to take control of the island. Greenland, a vast and resource-rich territory in the Atlantic, governs itself but remains under Denmark, a NATO ally of the U.S. Trump has argued that the island should be annexed, citing national security concerns.

“President Trump says that the United States 'will get Greenland.’ Let me be clear: The United States will not get it. We do not belong to anyone else. We decide our own future,” a Facebook post shared by Jens-Frederik Nielsen read.

Nielsen’s statement comes as U.S. Vice President JD Vance visits the U.S. military base at Pituffik, located in northern Greenland. During his visit on Friday, Vance criticised Denmark for not adequately ensuring Greenland’s security and suggested that the U.S. would do a better job protecting the semi-autonomous territory. This aligns with former President Trump’s past claim that the U.S. intends to take control of Greenland.

Vance clarified that the U.S. has no immediate plans to increase its military presence in Greenland but will invest in resources such as additional naval ships. While he assured respect for Greenland’s sovereignty, he also implied that the territory would eventually recognise the benefits of closer ties with the U.S., a remark that Denmark’s prime minister dismissed as unfair.

The visit has stirred concerns among Greenland’s residents, prompting Vance to reaffirm that the U.S. would respect their right to “self-determination” and uphold the island’s sovereignty.

"I think that they ultimately will partner with the United States," Vance stated. "We can make them much more secure. We could do a lot more protection. And I think they’d fare a lot better economically as well."

Currently, the United States has a military base in Greenland with 200 soldiers. In contrast, the US maintained 17 military installations with 10,000 troops during the Cold War. Meanwhile, Nielsen’s Facebook post came just a day after the US president told NBC News that he hadn’t ruled out using military force as an option for acquiring Greenland.

During an interview on Saturday, Trump stated, “I think there’s a good possibility that we could do it without military force.” "This is world peace; this is international security," he said, clarifying, "I don’t take anything off the table." His repeated remarks about Greenland have sparked anger among its residents and politicians, with Danish leaders also expressing strong opposition.

When asked about the message this would send to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has invaded Ukraine and annexed several regions in violation of international law, Trump responded, "I don’t care." While Vance was visiting Greenland, Trump told reporters at the White House that the U.S. needs the territory to maintain "the peace of the entire world."

"We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security. We have to have Greenland. It's not a question of, 'Do you think we can do without it?' We can't," Trump expressed.

Trump stated that Greenland's waterways are filled with Chinese and Russian ships and emphasised that the United States will not depend on Denmark or any other country to manage the situation. He has often argued that acquiring the island is a security necessity for the U.S., noting that Denmark has controlled Greenland since 1721.