A “fundamental disagreement” remains between the United States and Denmark over Greenland, according to a top Danish official, following talks in Washington with U.S. Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Disagreement Over Greenland Remains
“We didn’t manage to change the American position,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told reporters outside the Danish Embassy after the meeting concluded. “It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland.”
The two sides agreed to create a working group to discuss ways to address their differences, as President Trump continues to call for a U.S. takeover of the semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.
“The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Rasmussen said, joined by Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt.
Trump has argued that NATO should help the U.S. acquire the world’s largest island, stating that anything less than American control is unacceptable. Denmark has announced plans to boost its military presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic in response to Trump’s claims that China and Russia have designs on Greenland.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment after the hour-long meeting. Hours before the meeting, Trump reiterated on social media that the U.S. “needs Greenland for the purpose of national security,” citing perceived threats from Russian and Chinese ships.
“NATO should be leading the way for us to get it,” he wrote, adding that otherwise Russia or China would — “AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” He continued, “NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable.”
Both Rasmussen and Motzfeldt expressed measured hope that the talks would lead to Trump dropping his demand to acquire the territory and create a path for tighter cooperation with the U.S. “We have shown where our limits are, and from there, I think that it will be very good to look forward,” Motzfeldt said.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen announced an increase in Denmark’s “military presence and exercise activity” in the Arctic and the North Atlantic, “in close co-operation with our allies.” Poulsen said the increased presence was necessary given the current security environment.
“This means that from today and in the coming time, there will be an increased military presence in and around Greenland of aircraft, ships and soldiers, including from other NATO allies,” Poulsen said, adding that other allies were arriving in Greenland along with Danish personnel. He declined to name the contributing countries.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated that Greenland would choose Denmark and NATO over the United States, to which Trump replied that he disagreed with Nielsen and did not know him.
Allies Express Concern
The U.S. statements have caused confusion and consternation, as a 1951 agreement between the U.S. and Denmark allows Washington to move freely and construct military bases in Greenland, with notification to Denmark and Greenland. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that utilizing the U.S. military is always an option, referencing a previous military operation in Venezuela.
France’s foreign minister denounced what he described as U.S. “blackmail” over Greenland, announcing plans to open a consulate in Greenland on Feb. 6. “Attacking another NATO member would make no sense; it would even be contrary to the interests of the United States. And I’m hearing more and more voices in the United States saying this,” he said. “So this blackmail must obviously stop.”
Canada has also announced plans to open a consulate in Greenland. Denmark’s allies recently issued a statement declaring that Greenland belongs to its people and that its future is a matter for Denmark and Greenland alone.
Strategic Importance and Local Views
Greenland is strategically important due to potential shorter trade routes to Asia as the ice melts, and the possibility of extracting untapped critical mineral deposits. Experts and Greenlanders have questioned the perceived security importance of the island.
Local residents expressed skepticism about the security concerns raised by the U.S., suggesting Trump’s motives may be economic. Tuuta Mikaelsen, a student in Nuuk, emphasized the benefits of Greenland’s relationship with Denmark, including free healthcare, education, and student payments.
A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers is scheduled to travel to Copenhagen at the end of the week to meet with Danish and Greenlandic officials.
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