Trump, who takes office on January 20, has described U.S. control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, as an “absolute necessity”. He did not dismiss the potential use of military or economic means, including tariffs against Denmark.

Axios said that the Danish government wanted to convince Trump that his security concerns could be addressed without claiming Greenland.

A spokesperson for the Trump transition team did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the Axios report.

Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said earlier this week that she had asked for a meeting with Trump, but did not expect it to happen before his inauguration. Greenland’s prime minister Múte B. Egede too said he was ready to speak with Trump but urged respect for the island’s aspirations toward independence.

Denmark has previously said that Greenland is not for sale.