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 renewed interest in the U.S. taking control of Greenland, going so far as to refusing to rule out military intervention.

Several European leaders have cautioned Donald Trump against violating the sovereignty of other NATO allies across the continent, following comments by the U.S. president-elect that did not rule out using military force to annex Greenland’s territory.

U.S. president-elect Donald Trump says he wants to make Greenland a part of the United States and will not rule out using military or economic power to get Denmark to hand over the mineral-rich and strategically important island.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot says the European Union (EU) will stand firm in its alliance in the face of repeated comments from President-elect Trump about the U.S. acquiring Greenland from Denmark.

After Denmark, France and Germany have strongly condemned Donald Trump's controversial Greenland ambitions, with leaders from both countries declaring that the territory rightfully belongs to the European Union.

European leaders reacted to Trump's statement at a press conference on Tuesday that he would not rule out military action to take control of Greenland. He had earlier vowed to slap high tariffs on Denmark if it refused to cede its autonomous territory.