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.

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.