Senior US officials met in Washington this week with the foreign ministers of Greenland and Denmark amid rising tensions over President Donald Trump’s calls for the US to acquire Greenland.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen described the talks with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “frank but constructive,” yet said they did not resolve a fundamental disagreement regarding a potential US takeover of the island.
“We made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of Denmark,” Rasmussen said.
After the meeting, Trump reiterated his interest in acquiring the resource-rich territory, a stance that has unsettled European allies and strained relations within NATO.
Reactions from Denmark and Greenland
- Denmark pledged to station armed forces in Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.
- Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said the territory is open to closer cooperation with the US but opposes any takeover:
“We have shown where our limits are,” she said.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Greenland is critical for US national security:
“The problem is there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland, but there’s everything we can do,” he said, adding he does not believe the US can rely on Denmark to defend the island.
Vance and Rubio declined to comment after the meeting.
European Allies Respond
As tensions rose in Washington, several European allies moved quickly to support Greenland:
- Sweden pledged to send armed forces at Denmark’s request.
- France plans to open a consulate on the island next month.
- Germany will send a reconnaissance team to explore potential military contributions to support Denmark.
Denmark said its military expansion in Greenland would take place in close cooperation with allies, noting that “geopolitical tensions have spread to the Arctic.”
The White House talks were the latest in a series of diplomatic efforts regarding Trump’s interest in Greenland.
- It is unclear if Trump is considering military force, though he has not ruled it out.
- Another possibility is purchasing the territory, though Denmark and Greenland have not offered it for sale.
Since taking office, Vance has criticized Denmark’s stewardship of Greenland, signaling the administration’s interest. Trump has argued that control of the island is crucial for his planned missile defense system, Golden Dome:
“It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building,” Trump said, adding that NATO should lead efforts to support the US in acquiring it.
Most Greenland residents oppose US control, and US public support is also limited:
- A Reuters/Ipsos poll found only 17% of Americans support the US seizing Greenland.
- 47% of Americans oppose the idea.
Trump’s Greenland focus comes amid recent US military actions in Venezuela and Syria, and threats to intervene militarily in Iran in response to its crackdown on protests.
