"We do not want to be Americans," Greenland's party leaders announced in a joint statement issued on Friday.

The statement, titled "We Stand Together as One People," said that Greenland's future must be decided by the Greenlandic people themselves, Danish broadcaster DR reported.

"We, as Greenlandic party leaders, wish once again to emphasize our desire for the United States' disregard for our country to come to an end," the statement read.

The party leaders also said that Greenland will continue to cooperate with the United States and other Western countries in the future, but work concerning Greenland's future must be carried out with the Greenlandic people and be prepared on the basis of international law and the Self-Government Act.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said a deal will be made for the United States to acquire Greenland in an "easy way" or "hard way," adding that he was "going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not."