Agencies Oslo

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told The Associated Press "you cannot spy against an ally" after reports that the United States has stepped up intelligence gathering on Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory coveted by US President Donald Trump.

Frederiksen's comments Friday are the latest in the spat between Denmark, Greenland and the United States because Trump seeks to annex the strategic Arctic island. Denmark and Greenland insist that the mineral-rich island is not for sale, while Trump has not ruled out taking it by military force even though Denmark is a NATO ally.

The Danish prime minister spoke to the AP the day after Denmark summoned the top American diplomat in the country for an explanation following a Wall Street Journal report which said several high-ranking officials under the US director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, had directed intelligence agency heads to learn more about Greenland's independence movement and sentiment about US resource extraction there. Jennifer Hall Godfrey, acting head of the US Embassy in Copenhagen, met with high-ranking Danish diplomat Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen at the Danish Foreign Ministry, the ministry said in an email. It provided no further details. The embassy declined to comment. Frederiksen said Friday the report was "rumours" in an international newspaper. The Journal, cited two people familiar with the US effort which it did not identify.

"Cooperation about defence and deterrence and security in the northern part of Europe is getting more and more important," Frederiksen said. "Of course, you cannot spy against an ally."