Sen. Rand Paul pushed back Sunday against renewed suggestions that the U.S. might use military force to acquire Greenland, telling ABC News' "This Week" that such rhetoric is counterproductive and underscoring growing congressional concerns about executive military authority.

The Kentucky Republican said he hopes President Donald Trump would not order military force against Greenland.

"But let's say you wanted to buy Greenland — and I'm not disputing that might be something we might want, to buy Greenland," Paul said. "You don't get there by angering and denigrating the people who live there and saying, 'We're going to march the Marines in and take it if you don't sell it to us.' It doesn't make them very willing to sell to us."

Paul said public saber-rattling over a potential invasion is "having the opposite effect," arguing that Greenlanders and many in Washington oppose military action.

"I think you'd be hard-pressed to find someone in Greenland for it, but you'd also be hard-pressed to find somebody in Washington who's for a military invasion on either side of the aisle," Paul said.

The senator's remarks come amid a broader debate in Washington about the scope of presidential war-making powers.

Paul cited the War Powers Act of 1973 — legislation designed to limit a president's ability to commit U.S. forces abroad without congressional approval — saying the issue extends beyond Greenland to other potential conflicts.

"This debate is so important, because it's not just about Venezuela. It's about Venezuela. It's about Greenland. It's about Colombia. It's about Cuba. It's about whether or not the people get a say in whether we go to war," Paul said.

Paul reiterated that repeated mentions of military force "keep rattling the saber" and could undermine diplomatic options and international relationships.

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