Danish and Greenlandic officials met with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House on Wednesday, but emerged with a fundamental disagreement over President Donald Trump's push to acquire Greenland. The meeting was described as frank and constructive, yet Denmark reaffirmed its commitment to Greenland's territorial integrity and self-determination. Discussions are set to continue amid heightened Arctic tensions.
The White House meeting on Wednesday involved Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, who oversee the self-governing territory's defense and foreign policy under Denmark. Trump has intensified efforts to make Greenland a US territory, citing national security needs for his proposed $175 billion 'Golden Dome' missile defense system, inspired by Israel's Iron Dome and Ronald Reagan's 'Star Wars' plan. The first $25 billion was appropriated under Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' with the system aimed at intercepting missiles from anywhere, including space.
Rasmussen stated after the talks, 'We, the Kingdom of Denmark, continue to believe that also the long-term security of Greenland can be ensured inside the current framework, the 1951 agreement on the defense of Greenland as well as the NATO treaty.' He added, 'For us, ideas that would not respect the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of self-determination of the Greenlandic people are, of course, totally unacceptable. We therefore still have a fundamental disagreement, but we also agree to disagree.'
Motzfeldt emphasized, 'It remains important for Greenland to strengthen our cooperation with the United States, but that doesn’t mean that we want to be owned by the United States.' Rasmussen acknowledged Arctic security concerns but downplayed immediate threats from China and Russia, noting, 'There’s no Chinese presence in Greenland, but there’s a concern: would that be the case in 10 or 20 years from now?'
Trump, in a Wednesday Truth Social post, insisted, '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!' He argued NATO would be 'far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES.'
In response to escalating tensions, the Danish Armed Forces announced an expanded NATO military presence around Greenland starting Wednesday, involving Germany, France, Sweden, and Norway with aircraft, vessels, and soldiers. Greenland's strategic value lies in melting Arctic ice opening trade routes to Asia and untapped minerals for technology. Locals in Nuuk, like student Tuuta Mikaelsen, urged the US to 'back off,' while Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen affirmed choosing Denmark, NATO, and the EU. Greenland's Minister for Business Naaja Nathanielsen called US discussions 'unfathomable' and urged listening to Arctic voices.
