Denmark and Greenland remain firmly opposed to President Trump’s push to bring Greenland under U.S. control, despite what Danish officials described as direct but respectful talks with senior members of the Trump administration at the White House.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Wednesday that discussions with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials were “frank but also constructive,” though they failed to resolve what he called a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland’s future. Rasmussen said the meeting was requested by Denmark in an effort to challenge Washington’s narrative and lower tensions.
Rasmussen told reporters:“There is clearly a disagreement. e agree that it makes sense to try to sit down on a high level to explore whether there are possibilities to accommodate the concerns of the president while we at the same time respect the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark .. Whether that is doable, I don’t know,” but said he hoped the process could “take down the temperature.”
Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, echoed that position, saying closer cooperation with Washington does not mean surrendering sovereignty. “It’s never been more important to strengthen ties with the United States, but that doesn’t mean that we want to be owned by the United States.”
President Trump has repeatedly said the mineral-rich Arctic island is critical to U.S. national security and has refused to rule out using force to acquire it, alarming European allies and raising fears of a deeper fracture within NATO. On Wednesday, Trump again tied Greenland to his planned missile defense initiative, writing on Truth Social: “The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, NATO would not be an effective force or deterrent – Not even close! They know that, and so do I. NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable.”
Ahead of the meeting, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen made clear that they have no interest in joining the United States. “Greenland does not want to be owned by the USA. Greenland does not want to be governed by the USA. Greenland will not be part of the USA,” he said, adding, “If we have to choose between the USA and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark.” Asked about Nielsen’s remarks, Trump responded dismissively, saying, “I don’t know who he is. Don’t know anything about him, but that’s going to be a big problem for him.”
While no breakthrough was reached, the parties agreed to form a high-level working group that will meet in the coming weeks to explore whether cooperation on Arctic security can move forward without crossing Denmark’s red lines. Rasmussen stressed that any demand involving U.S. ownership or political control of Greenland is “totally unacceptable,” adding that Denmark and Greenland remain open to dialogue but resolute on sovereignty. “It is not easy to think innovatively about solutions when you wake up every morning to different threats,” Rasmussen said, underscoring just how far apart the two sides remain.
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