WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Monday denied that sending a delegation to Greenland was a provocation but repeated his hopes to acquire the Arctic territory from North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally Denmark.

Greenland's prime minister and Denmark's foreign minister both denounced the visit announced for this week by Trump's national security advisor, Mike Waltz, and Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance.

"This is friendliness, not provocation," Trump told reporters at the end of a cabinet meeting.

Trump insisted that the visit was at the invitation of Greenland, where an independence movement has been seeking to break with Denmark but where polls show little support for joining the United States.

"We've been invited, and they really like the idea, because they have been somewhat abandoned," Trump said.