Copenhagen, 17 January 2026 (dpa/MIA) — Ahead of planned protests in Denmark and Greenland, a bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers reaffirmed their opposition to US President Donald Trump's desire to control the Arctic island at a press conference in Copenhagen on Saturday.

"Greenland is part of Denmark. Denmark is our NATO ally," said Democratic Senator Chris Coons. "That should be the end of this discussion in my view."

Trump has repeatedly argued that US control of Greenland is necessary to prevent Russia and China from expanding their influence in the region. Greenland, a largely autonomous Arctic territory, is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

He recently threatened countries that oppose his plans with punitive tariffs.

Coons described Trump's statements as "not constructive," warning that the current treatment of Denmark could cause lasting damage to the bilateral relationship.

The senator, who represents the state of Delaware, asked how the US could be trusted if NATO ally Denmark was left in the lurch.

The 11 lawmakers who travelled to Denmark tried to make it clear that Trump's plans would also meet with resistance in the US. The group only included two representatives from Trump's Republican Party.

Several European NATO members, including Germany, France and the United Kingdom, are sending small military teams to the country to examine NATO's ability to defend the Arctic region as part of a Danish-led reconnaissance mission.

Demonstrations against Trump's bid to acquire the resource-rich island are set to take place on Saturday in Greenland's capital Nuuk as well as in Copenhagen.

Poul Johannesen, organizer of the Greenlandic citizens' initiative "Hands off Kalaallit Nunaat," said the group demands "respect for Greenland's right to self-determination and respect for the Greenlandic people."

"This is not only a fight for Greenland, but also for the whole world," he added.

Greenland is called Kalaallit Nunaat in Greenlandic, which translates to the "Land of the Greenlanders."

Recent crisis talks in Washington between the United States, Denmark and Greenland failed to narrow differences.