The prime minister of the Greenland says the people of his mineral-rich Arctic territory don't want to be Americans but that he's open to greater cooperation with the United States.

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said on Friday he was ready to speak with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has said he wants control over the Arctic island, and urged respect for the island's independence aspirations.

The island’s rare earth minerals and plum Arctic position have turned it into a geopolitical hotspot and the object of American fantasies.

President-elect Donald Trump's idea of acquiring Greenland comes as the Arctic region grows in strategic importance for economic and military reasons. He's already meeting resistance.

Many in the sprawling Danish territory don’t want to sell to the U.S., but they are open to the idea of a closer relationship.