Denmark sent private messages in recent days to President-elect Trump's team expressing willingness to discuss boosting security in Greenland or increasing the U.S. military presence on the island, two sources with knowledge of the issue tell Axios.

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.

Greenland's prime minister said Friday that the mineral-rich Arctic territory's people don't want to be Americans, but that he understands U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's interest in the island given its strategic location and he's open to greater cooperation with Washington.