Copenhagen (AFP) - A bipartisan US Congress delegation visited Copenhagen on Friday to voice support for Denmark and Greenland, insisting that US President Donald Trump’s designs on the Arctic island did not have the backing of the American people.

The two-day visit comes alongside a European show of support in the form of a military reconnaissance mission to Greenland, a Danish autonomous territory.

But Trump, insisting the United States needed Greenland for its “national security”, on Friday warned in Washington he “may put a tariff” on countries that oppose that stance.

The 11 visiting US lawmakers held talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen, as well as Denmark’s foreign and defence ministers, members of parliament and business leaders.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said there was “good dialogue” in the meetings, and stressed it was important to “nurture” ties between the United States, Denmark and Greenland.

“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 percent – will say, ‘we do not think that that is a good idea’,” Murkowski told reporters.

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

- ‘One idiot’ -

The delegation’s visit follows a meeting in Washington on Wednesday at which Danish representatives said Copenhagen and Washington were in “fundamental disagreement” over the future of Greenland.

Democratic Senator Chris Coons said the purpose of the Congress members’ two-day visit to Copenhagen was to “listen respectfully to our friends, our trusted allies and partners here in Denmark and from Greenland”.

The lawmakers were then to return to the US “and share those perspectives so that we can lower the temperature and have a more constructive dialogue about the best path forward”, he said.

In Greenland’s capital Nuuk, residents welcomed the show of support.

“Congress would never approve of a military action in Greenland. It’s just one idiot speaking,” a 39-year-old union representative told AFP.

“If he (Trump) does it, he’ll get impeached or kicked out. If people in Congress want to save their own democracy, they have to step up,” said the union rep, speaking on condition of anonymity.

- Demonstrations -

Trump has repeatedly criticised Denmark – a NATO ally – for, in his view, not doing enough to ensure Greenland’s security.

The US president has pursued that argument, despite strategically located Greenland – as part of Denmark – being covered by NATO’s security umbrella.

Military personnel were more visible in Nuuk on Friday, according to an AFP journalist, days after Denmark said it was beefing up its defence on the island.

“I don’t think troops in Europe impact the president’s decision-making process, nor does it impact his goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen retorted that a US acquisition of Greenland was “out of the question”.

The European troop deployment in Greenland for a military exercise is aimed at “sending a signal” to “everyone”, including the United States, that European countries are determined to “defend (their) sovereignty”, French armed forces minister Alice Rufo said.

Britain, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have announced the deployment of small numbers of military personnel to prepare for future exercises in the Arctic.

“A first team of French service members is already on site and will be reinforced in the coming days with land, air and maritime assets,” French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.

Large demonstrations were planned across Denmark and Greenland on Saturday to protest against Trump’s territorial ambitions.

Thousands of people have taken to social networks to say they intend to take part in the protests organised by Greenlandic associations in Nuuk and Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense.