WASHINGTON—Diplomatic tensions reached a critical point as top Danish and Greenlandic officials convened at the White House for emergency talks regarding President Donald Trump’s persistent campaign to acquire Greenland. The high-stakes meeting occurred amid escalating rhetoric from the American president, who has repeatedly declared his intention to seize the autonomous Danish territory “whether they like it or not.”
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen attempted to preempt the discussions by announcing enhanced military commitments to Greenland, telling AFP that Denmark was both boosting its Arctic military presence and negotiating “an increased NATO presence in the Arctic” to address US security concerns.
The meeting brought together Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Greenlandic representatives, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance, whose unexpected request to participate elevated the diplomatic significance. Lokke Rasmussen stated his intention to “clear up certain misunderstandings” regarding Greenland’s status, though observers questioned whether the Trump administration viewed the situation as a misunderstanding at all.
Trump’s acquisition rhetoric has intensified since the January 3rd operation in Venezuela, with the president employing characteristically transactional language. He told The New York Times that ownership “is psychologically needed for success” and provides “elements that you can’t get from just signing a document,” reflecting his real estate background. The administration justifies the proposed acquisition as necessary to counter Russian and Chinese Arctic ambitions, though neither nation has made claims on Greenland.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen delivered a definitive pre-meeting statement: “One thing must be clear to everyone: Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen acknowledged the difficulty of resisting “completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally.”
The diplomatic standoff has prompted international responses, with France announcing plans to open a consulate in Greenland and a bipartisan Congressional delegation preparing to visit Copenhagen in solidarity with Denmark. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin criticized Trump’s approach, stating that threats toward Greenland “are unnecessary and would only weaken our NATO alliance.”
Analysts from the German Marshall Fund suggested the meeting’s outcome hinged on whether the US would moderate its position or maintain its uncompromising stance, with senior vice president Penny Naas noting: “If the US continues with, ‘We have to have Greenland at all cost,’ it could be a very short meeting.”