“I think it is important to underscore that when you ask the American people whether or not they think it is a good idea for the United States to acquire Greenland, the vast majority, some 75%, will say we do not think that that is a good idea. This senator from Alaska does not think it is a good idea,” Murkowski said.

WHY TRUMP IS SO INTERESTED IN GREENLAND

Murkowski, keeping with her bipartisan record, made the trip with the mostly Democratic delegation. She told the room filled with international reporters that the U.S. government has “three separate but equal branches,” and warned that “the Congress has a role, certainly when it comes to spending authorities,” when asked what Congress can do to stop Trump from acquiring Greenland.

“Greenland needs to be viewed as our ally, not as an asset,” Murkowski said.

“In Congress, we have tools at our disposal under our constitutional authority that speaks specifically to the power of the purse, through appropriations,” Murkowski said.

Murkowski’s hard line is a far cry from the stance coming from the White House, as Trump continues to assert that Greenland is vital for Arctic security. He threatened tariffs on nations that don’t “go along” with the U.S.’s plans for Greenland, likening the possible move to his threatened 25% tariffs on countries that did not go along with his “most favored nations” drug pricing deal.

“I may do that for Greenland, too,” Trump said on Friday. “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security.”

Trump says the island is a key deterrent to Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic.

“Greenland is very important for the national security, including of Denmark,” Trump said on Wednesday. “The problem is, there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland, but there’s everything we can do. You found that out last week with Venezuela.”

DENMARK AND US CREATE WORKING GROUP FOR ‘FUNDAMENTAL DISAGREEMENT’ ON GREENLAND

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), who organized the legislative delegation to Copenhagen, said in the Friday press conference that the countries “had a strong and robust dialogue about how we extend” the nations’ alliance and partnership into the future.

“We spoke about the value of NATO and the commitment to respecting the core principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and self-determination, and we spoke with clarity about the importance that the people of Greenland make their decisions about their future,” Coons said.