The prime minister of Greenland said Friday that the people of his mineral-rich Arctic territory do not want to be Americans, but he said he understood the U.S. interest in the island given its strategic location and he is open to greater cooperation with the United States.

Trump has expressed interest in taking control of Greenland since 2019, as the island’s strategic importance has grown considerably as a result of ice melting, creating new shipping routes. It is also home to one of the world’s largest rare earth metal layers.