The congressional delegation in Denmark says Greenland should be seen as an ally of the United States.

A bipartisan US congressional delegation sought to assure Denmark and Greenland of their support amid President Trump’s push to seize control of the strategic Arctic island.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Greenland should be seen as a U.S. ally, “not an asset,” while Sen. Chris Coons said they want to de-escalate the situation.

“I hope that the people of the Kingdom of Denmark do not abandon their faith in the American people,” Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, said in Copenhagen, adding that the United States respects Denmark and NATO “for everything we have done together.”

His comments contrasted with those emanating from the White House. Trump has been raising the possibility of the United States seizing Greenland for months, pointing out the The strategically valuable location of the island.. He has tried to justify his calls for a US takeover by repeatedly claiming that China and Russia have their own plans for Greenland, which has vast untapped reserves of critical minerals.

The Trump administration has not ruled out taking the island by military force.

On Saturday, Trump said he would be impose a 10% import tax starting in February against products from eight European countries due to their opposition to his administration’s plans for Greenland.

He said in a social media post that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would face the tariff, which would rise to 25% on June 1 if a deal is not reached for “the complete and total purchase of Greenland” by the United States.

The tactic has drawn strong pushback from officials in Greenland, Denmark and across Europe.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen saying earlier this week that “we chose Denmark”, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said that a US takeover would effectively mean the end of NATO.

“It undermines NATO at a time when our adversaries seek to benefit from division,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, in Denmark.

European leaders have insisted that it is solely up to Denmark and Greenland to decide on matters related to the territory, and Denmark said this week that it was increasing its military presence in Greenland in cooperation with its allies.

“There is almost no better ally for the United States than Denmark,” Coons said. “If we do things that make the Danes question whether they can count on us as a NATO ally, why would any other country seek to be our ally or believe our representations?”

Earlier this week, the The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met in Washington this week. with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

That meeting did not resolve the deep differences, but it did produce an agreement to establish a working group, on the purpose of which Denmark and the White House offered markedly divergent public opinions.

And as this Arctic fight over Greenland’s future intensifies, many of its nearly 60,000 residents are scared.

“The Americans used to be the good guys; they helped us, but now all of a sudden they’re our enemies and that’s a shock,” said Liv Aurora Jensen.

Thousands of people marched through Copenhagen, many carrying the Greenland flag, on Saturday afternoon in support of the self-governing island. Others held signs with slogans such as “Make America smart again” and “Don’t intervene.”

“This is important for everyone,” Danish protester Elise Riechie told The News while holding Danish and Greenlandic flags. “There are many small countries. None of them are for sale.”

Other demonstrations were planned in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, and elsewhere in the Danish kingdom.