President Trump's repeated statement on Greenland sparks concerns, debate

This statement has reportedly raised concern among the small population of the island.

Covered by ice and frequent storms, Greenland is in the Arctic winter season. Yet, the eyes of the world are paying attention.

Donald Trump Jr, the president's son, recently went to the capital Nuuk in an effort to provide support for his father's idea, on a visit that lasted only a few hours.

During the talk at the White House, several hours after the inauguration, Trump reiterated the position that the United States should take control of Greenland.

My son and my officials went there two weeks ago and they love us. We'll see what happens. Greenland is necessary. Not for us. It's necessary for international security”, Trump said.

The island's population of 57,000 enjoys a high degree of autonomy. The government of Greenland has a simple message for the world.

“We're not goods, we're not for sale”, Greenland government minister Naaya Nathanielsen said.

President Trump has not ruled out the use of economic or military pressure to take Greenland under control, and his comments alarmed European allies.

However, Greenland says it can find common language with Washington.

If you look beyond rhetoric, I hear two messages from the United States: One is the need to keep national security in mind and we fully agree with the American message at that point. The other message I hear is, we want to get more involved in Greenland's mineral sector. This is like knocking on an open door”, Minister Nathanielsen said.

Greenland will hold elections no later than April. The government wants to hold a referendum on independence from Denmark simultaneously, reports the VOA.