"This is in our national interest and it needs to be solved," Rubio said. Greenland's prime minister has repeatedly said the island is not for sale.

The secretary of State said purchasing the Danish territory is important to the country’s national interests in the Arctic.

Danish lawmakers initially agreed in 2021 to design new navy ships for patrolling and clean-up operations for environmental accidents in the Baltic Sea. The project will now be shifted to focus on acquiring vessels equipped for tasks around Greenland, the defense ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.