Mute Egede said his government was looking for ways to work with President-elect Donald Trump, who has in recent weeks shown renewed interest in taking control of the territory – without ruling out using military or economic force to do so.

Also on Monday, Denmark’s foreign minister said it was ready to work with Greenland to “continue talks” with Trump “to ensure legitimate American interests” in the Arctic.

Greenland, a largely autonomous Danish territory, lies on the shortest route from North America to Europe, making it strategically important for the US.

It is also home to a large American space facility and has some of the largest deposits of rare earth minerals, which are crucial in the manufacture of batteries and high-tech devices.

Trump tried to buy Greenland during his first term in 2019, and has placed the issue back on his agenda as his second term approaches – calling it an “absolute necessity” for both American and international security.

Prime Minister Egede previously said Greenland was not and would not be “for sale,” while emphasising the importance of staying open to “co-operation and trade with the whole world”.

On Monday, he told a press conference in Copenhagen that his government was ready to start a dialogue with the incoming Trump administration.

But he added that the use of the territory’s land was “Greenland’s business”.

“It is… Greenland that will decide what agreement we should come to.”

Meanwhile, Denmark’s foreign minister also addressed Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland during a press conference in Jerusalem.

“I don’t want to get into any dispute with the incoming president Trump,” Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.

“He has a certain specific way to formulate requests, and what we are doing right now is getting into a more detailed dialogue with the incoming president.”

“We agree that the Americans have certain concerns about the security situation in the Arctic, which we share,” he said.

Rasmussen said Denmark, in close cooperation with Greenland, was ready to continue talks with Trump to ensure “legitimate American interests”.

Trump has also expressed his desire to acquire the Panama Canal, and vowed to use “economic force” to absorb Canada into the US.

Prime Minister Mute Egede, who had insisted the territory was “not for sale” after Trump flagged his “ownership and control” intentions last month, expressed his openness to engage with the United States at a news conference in Copenhagen on Friday.

However , he also underlined Greenland’s independence aspirations, which have gained momentum in recent years as Danish colonial abuses against the predominantly Inuit population have come to light.

“Greenland is for the Greenlandic people. We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American. We want to be Greenlandic,” he said at a news conference alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

“We have a desire for independence, a desire to be the master of our own house … This is something everyone should respect,” said Egede.

“But that doesn’t mean we are cutting all ties, all cooperation and all relations with Denmark,” he added.

He also noted that Greenland is part of the North American continent, and “a place that the Americans see as part of their world”. He said he was open to holding talks with Trump about what “unites us”.

“Cooperation is about dialogue. Cooperation means that you will work towards solutions,” he said.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who also attended the news conference, said, “The debate on Greenlandic independence and the latest announcements from the US show us the large interest in Greenland. Events which set in motion a lot of thoughts and feelings with many in Greenland and Denmark.

“The US is our closest ally, and we will do everything to continue a strong cooperation,” she said.

Trump  earlier this week refused to rule out using military or economic force in order to bring Greenland under US control. Trump said last month that “ownership and control” of Greenland was an “absolute necessity” for the US, as it seeks to counter growing Russian and Chinese interest in the Arctic region.

Trump had previously floated buying Greenland during his first term as president from 2017 to 2021, even postponing a 2019 visit to Denmark after Frederiksen rebuffed the idea.

A “private” visit to the territory this week by his son, Donald Trump Jr, sparked further speculation that the president-elect would make a push to buy Greenland when he takes office on January 20.

The US maintains a military base in the northern part of the strategically important territory, home to 57,000 people.

Greenland  was a Danish colony from 1721 until 1953 but is now a self-governing Danish territory. In 2009, it secured the right to claim independence through a vote.