World Council of Churches head Rev. Jerry Pillay has said that the US government's stated determination to own and control Greenland diametrically opposes the wishes of the territory's people and their political course to independence.

"It is tantamount to neocolonialism," said Pillay, a South African, in a statement on Jan. 14.

"The World Council of Churches joins with Bishop Paneeraq Siegstad Munk, head of Greenland's Evangelical Lutheran Church," he said.

Greenland is the world's biggest island at more than 2 milllions square kilometers with a population of around 57,000 and it is an autonomous territory of Denmark.

Separately, UN experts on Jan. 14 expressed grave concern about statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Greenland, including suggestions that the territory should be placed under U.S. control and that force could be used to achieve such an outcome.

"Assertions suggesting that a territory can be taken, controlled or 'owned' by another State in pursuit of perceived national security or economic interests evoke a logic of colonial domination that the international community has long rejected," the experts said.

"Such rhetoric raises deep concerns about the maintenance of a democratic and equitable international order - one rooted in respect for human dignity and fundamental rights in line with the UN Charter".

The experts noted that in numerous statements, Trump has repeatedly questioned Denmark's legal sovereignty over the territory, referring to the "ownership and control" of Greenland as an "absolute necessity" for the United States, including for national security reasons.

They noted that the U.S, Secretary of State has informed the U.S. Congress that the U.S. government intends to "buy" Greenland.

Denmark is an old ally of the United States and a founder member of the NATO alliance.

In its statement, the WCC said it is "appealing to all Americans who believe in freedom, dignity, and the right of people to choose their own path, to call upon their elected representatives and their government to stand by the Greenlanders in their right to determine their own future."

WCC head Pillay noted that the people of Greenland have an inalienable right to self-determination and are on a clear pathway to independence, as confirmed by both their own representatives and the Danish government.

"Their rights and views must be seriously considered and respected," said Pillay.