US President Donald Trump has ruled out using military force to take control of Greenland, US Ambassador to Denmark Ken Howery said on Thursday during the opening of a new US consulate building in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.

Responding to a question from Greenlandic broadcaster KNR on whether the United States still sought to take over Greenland, Howery said: "The president has taken the use of force off the table. The future of Greenland is something the Greenlanders themselves must decide."

Trump had previously declined to rule out military action to gain control of Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

The United States on Thursday officially inaugurated new and larger premises for its consulate in central Nuuk. According to KNR, no members of Greenland's government attended the ceremony amid strained relations between Greenland and the United States.

Prime Minister of Greenland Jens-Frederik Nielsen had earlier announced he would not attend the reception, while Naaja H. Nathanielsen, Greenland's representative in the Danish parliament, also declined the invitation. No officials from the Danish government were present at the opening.

Meanwhile, hundreds rallied near the new consulate site, with demonstrators chanting "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders" to express their dissatisfaction.

(With input from Xinhua)