Senior officials from Denmark and Greenland travelled to Washington, DC, this week for high-level meetings with members of United States President Donald Trump’s administration, amid rising tensions over the future of Greenland.
However, by Wednesday, both sides acknowledged that the discussions failed to ease concerns about Trump’s stated desire to bring the Arctic island under US control.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the talks did not succeed in changing Washington’s position. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said it was now evident that Trump remained committed to the idea of taking over Greenland.
“We didn’t manage to change the American position,” Rasmussen said. “It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland.”
Talks Fall Short of Resolving Core Disputes
Rasmussen and Greenland’s foreign affairs minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, had hoped that direct discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance would reduce tensions and clarify Washington’s intentions.
Instead, the meeting ended without agreement on the core issue of sovereignty. Officials from both sides said they would establish a working group to continue discussions, focusing on Arctic security and strategic concerns surrounding Greenland.
According to Rasmussen, the proposed group would aim to address US security interests while remaining within what he described as the “red lines” of the Danish kingdom.
Greenland Rejects Any Transfer of Ownership
Motzfeldt stressed that Greenland is open to cooperation with Washington but firmly rejected the idea of becoming part of the United States.
She said dialogue on security should not be interpreted as consent to a change in sovereignty, adding that Greenland does not seek to be “owned by the United States”.
That position was echoed online by an account representing Greenland’s government presence in the US and Canada, which highlighted the views of the island’s Indigenous population, known as kalaallit.
In a post on X, the account noted that previous polling showed only a small minority of Greenlanders supported joining the United States, calling for local voices to be included in any future discussions.
Trump Repeats Security Argument
Despite objections from European allies, Trump again underlined his position on Wednesday, saying US control of Greenland was essential for national security. He made the remarks during an Oval Office event unrelated to foreign policy.
Trump also questioned Denmark’s ability to defend Greenland on its own in the event of external pressure from rivals such as China or Russia.
“Greenland is very important for national security, including that of Denmark,” Trump told reporters, adding that the United States was better positioned to protect the territory.
He said he maintained a “very good relationship” with Denmark and expected to be briefed on the Washington talks later that day.
Existing US Military Presence
The United States already maintains a military footprint in Greenland under a longstanding defence agreement, and that presence could be expanded with Danish and Greenlandic consent.
According to Al Jazeera correspondent Alan Fisher, current discussions include the possibility of increasing US personnel on the island.
However, Fisher noted that Trump has signalled such arrangements would not go far enough unless Greenland were placed under direct US control — a stance that continues to alarm officials in Greenland, Denmark, and across Europe.