Greenland is not for ​sale, the island’s ‌head of government, Jens-Frederik Nielsen ​, said on ​Wednesday after United ⁠States President ​Donald Trump renewed his ​demand to control the Arctic territory ​at a ​NATO summit in Ankara, ‌Turkiye.

“Repeated ⁠calls for the takeover or control of ​our ​country ⁠do not change this,” ​Nielsen wrote ​in a post on Facebook.

Earlier, Trump said on Tuesday that Greenland should be controlled by ​the United States, not Denmark, reaffirming a stance that had caused tensions among ‌NATO allies just as leaders of the alliance gathered for a summit in Turkiye.

Trump’s assertions that the US must acquire or control Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, have long strained relations between Washington and Copenhagen — both founding NATO members — ​and more broadly US ties with Europe. The issue has since moved to a diplomatic ​track.

“That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” Trump said ⁠of Greenland in comments to reporters during a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Hours ​later, also speaking in Ankara, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she expected allies to ​respect the sovereignty of the Danish kingdom and accept that Greenland was not for sale.

“It is a well-known position of the United States that it wants to own and take over Greenland. I ​hope that it is equally well-known everywhere that this is not going to happen,” ​Frederiksen said.

She added that there were no plans to discuss in Ankara issues concerning the High ‌North, ⁠the Arctic or Greenland.

Greenland’s Foreign Minister Mute Egede said in a post on Facebook that Greenland’s future should be decided by its people.

“That’s how it has always been. And that’s how it always will be,” he said, adding that Greenland should continue ​close cooperation with its ​allies.

Trump said the issue ⁠of control over Greenland had harmed US ties with NATO.

“That’s what hurt my relationship with NATO, because Greenland doesn’t help Denmark. ​Denmark doesn’t spend money to really help Greenland, but it’s an ​important part ⁠for the United States, and it’s surrounded by Chinese ships and Russian ships, and that’s not going to happen,” he said.

“They (Denmark) wouldn’t go along with it, and with all the money ⁠we ​spend to help them with Russia.”

US Secretary of State ​Rubio said in June that conversations with Denmark and Greenland were continuing on a monthly basis.