A crisis meeting in Washington between representatives of the US, Denmark, and Greenland has left the dispute over the Arctic island unresolved. US President Donald Trump insists on taking control of Greenland for security reasons, while Denmark and Greenland reject this. A working group is to seek solutions next.
The meeting on January 14, 2026, in Washington ended without agreement. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland's Minister Vivian Motzfeldt met with US Vice President J.D. Vance and Foreign Minister Marco Rubio. Rasmussen highlighted a 'fundamental disagreement': 'Our goal was to find a common way to increase security in the Arctic,' he said. Trump had previously stated on Truth Social: 'The United States need Greenland for the purpose of national security. Anything less is unacceptable.' He justifies this with the growing presence of Russia and China in the region.
Rasmussen refuted Trump's claims: No Chinese warships have been in Greenland for a decade, and the US has reduced its troops from 10,000 to 200. Denmark shares concerns about a changed security situation but is increasing its military presence through exercises with aircraft, ships, and soldiers in cooperation with NATO allies.
In response, NATO states are providing support: Germany is sending a 13-member Bundeswehr reconnaissance team to Nuuk from January 15 to 17, 2026, via Airbus A400M to assess conditions for security contributions like sea surveillance. French President Emmanuel Macron announced troops for 'Operation Arctic Endurance.' Sweden and Norway are also participating. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius emphasized: 'Security in the North Atlantic and Arctic can only be achieved multilaterally and jointly.'
A high-level working group is to meet in the coming weeks to address US security concerns without crossing Danish red lines. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated: 'If we have to choose between Denmark or the US, we choose Denmark.' The EU Parliament condemned Trump's statements as a violation of international law.
