Greenland Talks Stall as Trump Refuses to Drop Takeover Ambitions

Denmark and Greenland arrived in Washington this week hoping to cool a rapidly escalating dispute over Greenland’s future. They left with little to show for it.

After meetings with senior officials in President Donald Trump’s administration, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen acknowledged that efforts to shift Washington’s position had failed.

“We didn’t manage to change the American position,” Rasmussen told reporters on Wednesday. “It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland.”

Rasmussen and Greenland’s foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt had met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance in an attempt to ease tensions over the self-governing Arctic territory, which remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Instead of resolving disagreements, the talks ended with a decision to establish a working group to continue discussions on Arctic security and Greenland’s status. Rasmussen said any dialogue would need to address US security concerns without crossing Denmark’s red lines.

“The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” he said.

Motzfeldt struck a careful balance between cooperation and resistance. She reiterated Greenland’s willingness to work with the United States but rejected the idea of American ownership outright.

Her message was reinforced online by Greenland’s official representation in the United States and Canada, which highlighted the absence of Indigenous voices from the debate.

“Why don’t you ask us, kalaallit?” the account wrote on X. “Last time a poll was done only 6% of Greenlanders/kalaallit were in favour of becoming a part of the US.”

European allies have floated expanded security cooperation with Washington in the Arctic, where the Trump administration has repeatedly warned of growing Russian and Chinese influence. Those offers, however, have not softened Trump’s position.

On Wednesday, Trump again insisted that the United States needs to own Greenland for national security reasons, delivering the remarks during an Oval Office ceremony unrelated to foreign policy.

“Greenland is very important for the national security, including of Denmark,” Trump said. “And 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.”

Trump added that he maintains “a very good relationship with Denmark” and said he would be briefed on the Washington meetings later in the day.

The United States already maintains a military presence on the island under an existing treaty, with roughly 150 personnel stationed at a base there. Both Denmark and Greenland have indicated openness to expanding that presence.

But for Trump, military access without sovereignty appears insufficient.