In brief
Denmark's foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, voiced a 'fundamental disagreement' with the US regarding Greenland after discussions with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Despite talks being described as 'constructive,' Rasmussen condemned President Trump's push to 'conquer' Greenland as 'unacceptable.' The hour-long meeting did not yield significant breakthroughs but established a high-level working group to explore future cooperation, amidst rising European support for Greenland.
Denmark's foreign minister has said there is a 'fundamental disagreement' with the US over Greenland after talks at the White House.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the meeting with Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday had been 'frank but constructive.' But he added that US President Trump was insisting on 'conquering' Greenland, which was 'totally unacceptable.'
Rasmussen stated, 'We made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of [Denmark].'
Trump afterwards reiterated his interest in acquiring the resource-rich island, a position that has rattled allies across Europe and stoked tensions with NATO.
The hour-long meeting between the US, Denmark, and Greenland failed to bring a major breakthrough, although all sides agreed to set up a high-level working group to discuss the future of the autonomous Danish territory.
Rasmussen mentioned there were 'red lines' the US could not cross and that the working group would meet in the coming weeks in an effort to find a compromise. He added that Denmark and Greenland were open to the possibility of the US opening more military bases on the island.
Despite the geopolitical tensions, Rasmussen acknowledged an 'element of truth' in Trump's argument that security measures should be intensified to counter Russian and Chinese interests in the Arctic. However, he refuted the president's claim regarding the presence of Russian and Chinese warships around Greenland.
Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt emphasized that while there is openness to greater US cooperation, there is strong opposition to any takeover plans, stating, 'We have shown where our limits are.'
The discussions come as allies in Europe rapidly move to show support for Greenland, with Sweden pledging to send armed forces at Denmark's request and Germany planning to send a reconnaissance team to support its security.
Public sentiments reveal that the majority of Americans and Greenlanders oppose any US control over the island, indicating that diplomatic solutions are essential as tensions in the Arctic continue to rise.
