Denmark Warns of Rift After White House Talks on Greenland
Denmark warns of a fundamental disagreement with the US after White House talks on Greenland, amid rising Arctic security tensions and NATO concern.
Following talks at the White House, Denmark's foreign minister said there are "fundamental disagreements" with the United States regarding Greenland.
Lars Løkke Rasmussen said his meeting on Wednesday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was "frank but constructive." However, he said that US President Trump was insisting on "acquiring" Greenland, which is "completely unacceptable."
"We made it very, very clear that this is not in [Denmark's] interest," he said.
Trump subsequently reiterated his interest in acquiring the resource-rich island, a stance that has alarmed allies across Europe and heightened tensions with NATO.
The hour-long meeting between the US, Denmark, and Greenland yielded no major breakthroughs, although all sides agreed to establish a high-level working group to discuss the future of the autonomous Danish territory.
Rasmussen said there are certain "red lines" that the US cannot cross, and the working group will meet in the coming weeks in an attempt to find a compromise. He said that Denmark and Greenland are open to the possibility of the US opening more military bases on the island.
"It's beneficial to start discussions at a high level," he said.
Rasmussen also said there is "an element of truth" to Trump's idea that security needs to be strengthened to counter Russian and Chinese interests in the Arctic. But he said the president's remarks about the presence of Russian and Chinese warships around Greenland were "not true."
Despite its sparse population, Greenland's location between North America and the Arctic places it in a strategic position for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks and for monitoring ships in the region.
Trump has repeatedly stated that acquiring it is crucial for US national security. The U.S. already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base on the northwestern tip of Greenland, a facility the U.S. has operated since World War II.
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Under existing agreements with Denmark, the U.S. has the power to bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland.
Following Wednesday's talks, Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said the territory is open to greater cooperation with the U.S., but also opposes an acquisition.
"We have shown where our limits are," Motzfeldt said.
Vance and Rubio did not comment immediately after the meeting. Meanwhile, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: "We need Greenland for national security."
"The problem is, if Russia or China wanted to take Greenland, Denmark couldn't do anything, but we could do everything," he said, adding that he didn't think the U.S. could rely on Denmark to defend the island.
These discussions came as European allies moved quickly to show support for Greenland.
On Wednesday, Sweden pledged to send armed forces to the area at Denmark's request. France's foreign minister said the country plans to open an embassy on the island next month.
Germany said in a statement 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 would be "in cooperation with allies."
"Geopolitical tensions have spread to the Arctic," a statement said.
The White House talks were the latest round of diplomatic discussions stemming from Trump's growing interest in the region. It's unclear whether the president is considering using military force to seize the island, and he again declined to rule it out when asked on Wednesday.
According to reports, other options under consideration include purchasing the territory – although neither the Danes nor the Greenlanders have indicated that it is for sale.
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Since taking office, Pence has been critical of Denmark's management of Greenland. The vice president visited the territory shortly after assuming office.
Trump has argued that control of the territory is crucial for his planned missile defense system, the Golden Dome.
"This is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building," Trump said in a social media post earlier on Wednesday. "NATO should be leading us on this."
Opinion polls show that most Greenlanders oppose coming under American control.
Most Americans also oppose U.S. control of Greenland. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday showed that only 17% of Americans support a U.S. takeover of Greenland, while 47 percent said they oppose Trump's efforts to acquire the island.
The latest discussions about Greenland come after U.S. military operations in Venezuela and against ISIS targets in Syria. Trump has also threatened military action to stop the crackdown on the nationwide protest movement in Iran.
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