Senior US administration officials met in Washington with the foreign ministers of Greenland and Denmark amid growing tensions over President Donald Trump’s calls for the US to seize Greenland.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the talks with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were “frank but constructive,” yet did not resolve a “fundamental disagreement” on a US takeover of Greenland.
“We made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of” Denmark, he said.
Trump afterwards reiterated his interest in acquiring the resource-rich island, a position that has rattled allies across Europe and stoked tensions with Nato.
After the meeting, Denmark vowed to send armed forces to Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greenland Vivian Motzfeldt said the territory was open to greater cooperation with the US but also opposed a takeover.
“We have shown where our limits are,” Motzfeldt said.
Vance and Rubio did not immediately comment after the meeting. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: “We need Greenland for 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 that he does not believe the US can rely on Denmark to defend the island.
As tensions simmered in Washington, allies in Europe moved quickly to show support for Greenland.
Sweden on Wednesday pledged to send armed forces to Greenland at Denmark’s request. France’s foreign minister said the country planned to open a consulate on the island next month.
Germany said in a statement provided to the BBC that it would send a “reconnaissance team” to Greenland to “explore the general conditions for possible military contributions to support Denmark in ensuring security in the region”.
Denmark said its military expansion in Greenland will take place “in close cooperation with allies”.
“Geopolitical tensions have spread to the arctic,” it said in a statement.
The White House talks were just the latest round of diplomatic discussions over Trump’s growing interest in somehow taking control of Greenland.
It is unclear whether the president is considering using military force to seize the island. He declined to rule it out when asked on Wednesday.
Other options reportedly under consideration include purchasing the territory – though neither Danes nor Greenlanders have said it’s for sale.
Since taking office, Vance has criticized Denmark’s stewardship of Greenland. The vice president visited soon after taking office in a trip meant to signal the administration’s interest in acquiring the territory.
Trump has argued control of the territory is critical for his planned missile defense system, Golden Dome.
“It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building,” Trump said in a social media post early Wednesday. “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it.”
Public opinion polls show a majority of Greenland residents oppose coming under US control.
Most Americans oppose US control of Greenland as well. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday found that just 17% of Americans support the US seizing Greenland, compared to 47 percent who said they opposed Trump’s push to acquire the island.
Trump’s focus on Greenland comes on the heels of US attacks on Venezuela and ISIS In Syria in recent weeks. Trump has also threatened to take military action to stop Iran’s deadly crackdown on a growing protest movement engulfing the nation.