Denmark will “defend every inch” of NATO, including Greenland, its Prime Minister says, after Donald Trump renewed his call for the US to control the territory.

Danish PM Mette ‌Frederiksen made the comment a day after the US President reiterated his push for American control of Greenland.

“That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” Trump said ⁠of Greenland during a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the NATO summit in Turkey.

“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 China ships and Russian ships, and that’s not going to happen.

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

Trump’s ‌assertions that ‌the ⁠US must acquire or ​control the 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.

“We are ​ready to ‌defend every inch of NATO, including ​our own territory … Of course we will defend the kingdom of Denmark,” Frederiksen ​said on Wednesday, ​reiterating that Greenland ​was not for sale.

“One of ‌the reasons why we have built NATO many, many years ago, is if anything happens to one of us, ​then everybody should stand up for each ​other.”

Frederiksen said the US’s position was well known.

“I ​hope that it is equally well-known everywhere that this is not going to happen,” ​she said.

-with AAP