Denmark is “open to dialogue” and said it is ready to “cooperate” with the United States, even as President-elect Donald Trump expressed a desire to annex Greenland, the Danish foreign minister told reporters today.

The Kingdom of Denmark, which includes mainland Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, is “open to dialogue with the Americans on how we can cooperate, perhaps even more closely than we already do,” Lars Lokke Rasmussen said without giving further details.

The Danish diplomatic chief noted during a press conference that melting ice and the opening of new sea lanes in the Arctic were leading to a “growing rivalry between the major powers” in the region, with China and Russia both present.

“It is entirely legitimate for the United States and NATO – and therefore the Kingdom of Denmark – to be aware of this,” he added.

Donald Trump ruled before Christmas that control of Greenland is “an absolute necessity” for “national security and freedom around the world.”

On Tuesday, Trump refused to rule out resorting to (military) force to annex it, causing consternation in that very large region and in Copenhagen as well as other European capitals, with Paris denouncing “a form of imperialism.”

Lokke Rasmussen appealed for calm.

“Not everything we think should necessarily be said out loud,” he said. “I try to work according to reality and I think we should all do ourselves a favor and slow down our heart rate a little bit.”