Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in an official visit to the Arctic island that Denmark will not give up on Greenland.

Frederiksen responded to Donald Trump’s repeated threats and proposed closer cooperation, but told the U.S. president: “You can’t annex other countries.”

Frederiksen stood with Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and his predecessor Mute Egende to show support and solidarity in the face of the U.S. threat on Thursday.

Her three-day trip to the territory was widely criticized in Greenland and Denmark after a controversial visit by the U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance last week.

In his whirlwind tripVance reiterated Trump’s ambition to bring Greenland under U.S. control for security reasons, criticizing Denmark for not spending more money on security in the region, and claiming it didn’t “do well” for Greenlanders.

“It’s clear that with the pressure on Greenland in the Americans, we need to stay united in terms of sovereignty, borders and future,” Frederiksen said after arriving in Greenland on Wednesday.

Frederiksen said Thursday that Denmark is strengthening its military presence in the Arctic and has worked closer with the United States in defending the region.

But she added: “What do we believe when you ask for a portion of Danish territory when we are under pressure and threatened by our closest allies, what do we believe in the country we admire for so many years?”

Frederiksen rides on the capital Nuuk along with Egede and Nielsen on a Danish naval patrol boat.

According to the Danish Public Broadcasting Corporation, many people cheered to see the Danish Prime Minister, and a resident shouted from the window: “Hey, Met! Thank you for coming.”

Egede, who served as prime minister for nearly four years, said the island had worked with the United States for nearly 80 years for security, including the establishment of the Pituffik space base after Denmark reached a 1951 deal with the United States.

The former leader insisted that Greenland was not for sale, but added that the island wanted a deal with the United States, According to Greenland’s national newspaper Sermitsiaq.

Trump first proposed the idea of ​​buying Greenland in his first semester – his desire to own the island will only grow over time.

“This is very, very important, and it’s very reassuring that Greenland people meet the head of the Danish government,” said Mikaela Engell, an expert in the Arctic territorial state who previously served as Denmark’s High Commissioner for Greenland.

Greenland – the largest island in the world, between the Arctic and the Atlantic Ocean – is controlled by Denmark, nearly 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles), about 300 years.

Greenland manages its own internal affairs, but Copenhagen’s foreign and defence policy decisions.

Five of the six major parties favor independence from Copenhagen, but disagree on the speed at which they can achieve this goal.

In March, the New Greenland Coalition government led by the center-right Democrats favored a step-by-step approach.

Polls show that the vast majority of Greenlanders also want independence from Denmark, but do not want to be part of the United States.

Greenland has the right to hold an independence referendum since 2009, although in recent years some parties have begun to push for more parties.