NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Greenland’s party leaders rejected President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for the United States to take control of the island, saying Greenland’s future should be decided by its people.

“We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders,” Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and four party leaders said in a statement Friday night.

Trump said again Friday that he would like to reach a deal to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous region that is part of NATO ally Denmark, “the easiest way.” He said that if the United States doesn’t own it, then Russia or China will take over it, and the United States doesn’t want them as neighbors.

“If we don’t do it the easy way, we’ll do it the hard way,” Trump said, without explaining what that entailed. The White House said it is considering a variety of options, including the use of military force, to acquire the island.

Greenland party leaders reiterated that “the future of Greenland must be decided by the Greenlandic people.”

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen (left) and other Greenlandic party leaders have rebuked US President Donald Trump's push for US control of the island.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen (left) and other Greenlandic party leaders have rebuked US President Donald Trump’s push for US control of the island.

Frederick Floorin/News via Getty and Alex Brandon/AP

“As leaders of the Greenlandic party, we would like to once again emphasize our desire to see an end to the United States’ contempt for our country,” the statement said.

Officials from Denmark, Greenland and the United States met Thursday in Washington and will meet again next week to discuss the White House’s renewed push for control of the island.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that a US takeover of Greenland would mark the end of NATO.

The party leaders’ statement said that “work on the future of Greenland is carried out in dialogue with the Greenlandic people and is prepared on the basis of international law.”

“No other country can interfere in this,” they said. “We must decide the future of our country ourselves, without pressure to make quick decisions, delays or interference from other countries.”

The statement was signed by Nielsen, Pele Broberg, Múte B. Egede, Aleqa Hammond and Aqqalu C. Jerimiassen.

While Greenland is the largest island in the world, it has a population of around 57,000 and does not have its own military. Defense is provided by Denmark, whose army is dwarfed by that of the United States.

It is unclear how the remaining NATO members would respond if the United States decided to take control of the island by force or if they came to Denmark’s aid.