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

The prime minister of the Greenland says the people of his mineral-rich Arctic territory do not want to be Americans, but that he is open to greater cooperation with the United States.

The Danish foreign minister expressed openness to working more closely with the U.S. to ensure its interests in the region are addressed after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants to buy the Danish territory of Greenland—but the foreign minister continued to cast doubt on Trump’s idea to acquire the island,