Sen. Lisa Murkowski and her Danish counterpart in an Arctic region group of legislators issued a joint statement Monday rejecting President Trump’s plan to purchase Greenland and urging the U.S. to treat the country as “an ally, not an asset.”

Ms. Murkowski, Alaska Republican, and Danish Parliament member Aaja Chemnitz co-chair the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (SCPAR), which brings together groups of legislators to address shared challenges and opportunities arising from the environmental, economic and social conditions of the Arctic. 

Their joint statement rebuffed Mr. Trump’s overtures toward purchasing Greenland from the Kingdom of Denmark, while noting they understand the businessman-turned-president’s interest in acquiring it, given its strategic location and wealth of minerals. 

“But Greenland is not for sale. The question has been asked and firmly answered by the government of Greenland, Naalakkersuisut,” Ms. Murkowski and Ms. Chemnitz said. 

“We see a better path forward. The United States, like Denmark, should recognize that the future will be defined by partnership, not ownership,” they said. “To ensure our alliance reaches its full potential, Americans must view Greenland as an ally, not an asset. Open for business, but not for sale.”

The statement came after SCPAR met in Tromsø, Norway, for the organization’s winter meeting on Sunday. Ms. Murkowski, who was held up in Washington for weekend votes on Trump nominees, participated virtually.

“From our work on Arctic Parliamentarians, we are certain that U.S. ambitions for national security can be achieved without altering Greenland’s autonomy,” Ms. Murkowski and Ms. Chemnitz said. “We see that in Pittufik Space Base. Dialogue and cooperation can strengthen our ties; diplomacy can pave the way for a relationship and alliance that fulfills our mutual interests.”

They said Greenland welcomes increased cooperation with the U.S. on defense, mineral development and trade and that Alaska, the largest U.S. portion of the Arctic, has similar advantages of a strategic location and abundant resources to offer. 

“The future does not require us to redraw the borders on that map, but to work harder than ever across them,” Ms. Murkowski and Ms. Chemnitz said. “The respectful, consensus partnership is the only way to truly foster the ties that will bind Greenland and the United States together for the long haul.”

• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.