U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, was one of four senators who traveled to Greenland over the weekend in an effort to reinforce relations with the Arctic nation.Joining King on the trip were Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who co-chairs the U.S. Senate Arctic Caucus with King; Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; and Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee.King said President Donald Trump’s comments about acquiring Greenland have damaged trust, and that he repeatedly heard the words “we are not for sale” during his visit.”The Greenlanders started pretty much every conversation with ‘we are not for sale,’ and they are a proud people,” King said. “These are mostly indigenous people. They have been living on that hard island for several thousand years, and they do not want to be part of the United States.”King also said that despite threats from the Trump administration, Greenland officials are willing to enter into talks about additional facilities that could be necessary for the national security of the United States.The U.S. delegation met with the prime minister of Greenland and members of his cabinet in the capital city of Nuuk. The senators also met with members of Parliament, Inuit leaders, Danish military leaders from Joint Arctic Command and other Arctic officials.Before they arrived in Nuuk, King and the other senators traveled 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle to visit American troops and meet with military leaders stationed at the Pituffik Space Force Base in northern Greenland, the northernmost U.S. military base in the world.Last month, King and Murkowski hosted a delegation from Denmark to emphasize the importance of deescalating tensions following the Trump administration’s comments about acquiring Greenland.

PORTLAND, Maine —

U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, was one of four senators who traveled to Greenland over the weekend in an effort to reinforce relations with the Arctic nation.

Joining King on the trip were Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who co-chairs the U.S. Senate Arctic Caucus with King; Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; and Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee.

King said President Donald Trump’s comments about acquiring Greenland have damaged trust, and that he repeatedly heard the words “we are not for sale” during his visit.

“The Greenlanders started pretty much every conversation with ‘we are not for sale,’ and they are a proud people,” King said. “These are mostly indigenous people. They have been living on that hard island for several thousand years, and they do not want to be part of the United States.”

King also said that despite threats from the Trump administration, Greenland officials are willing to enter into talks about additional facilities that could be necessary for the national security of the United States.

The U.S. delegation met with the prime minister of Greenland and members of his cabinet in the capital city of Nuuk. The senators also met with members of Parliament, Inuit leaders, Danish military leaders from Joint Arctic Command and other Arctic officials.

Before they arrived in Nuuk, King and the other senators traveled 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle to visit American troops and meet with military leaders stationed at the Pituffik Space Force Base in northern Greenland, the northernmost U.S. military base in the world.

Last month, King and Murkowski hosted a delegation from Denmark to emphasize the importance of deescalating tensions following the Trump administration’s comments about acquiring Greenland.