Denmark Says White House Talks on Greenland Were Difficult, Confirms Disagreement With US
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Thursday that recent talks at the White House on Greenland were “not easy,” confirming a fundamental disagreement with the United States over Washington’s continued ambition to take over the autonomous Danish territory. In a statement, Frederiksen said she was briefed on Wednesday’s meeting between representatives of Greenland, Denmark, and the US, noting that the American position remains unchanged.
According to Danish public broadcaster TV 2, Frederiksen stressed that while Copenhagen and Washington agreed to establish a working group on the issue, this does not alter the core disagreement. “The American ambition to take over Greenland is ongoing,” she said, describing the situation as serious and adding that Denmark will continue its efforts to prevent such a scenario from becoming reality.
Her remarks followed a meeting involving US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt. Frederiksen also pointed out that NATO allies have agreed to strengthen their presence in the Arctic, underlining that the defense of Greenland is a shared concern for the entire alliance. Germany, Sweden, France, and Norway have confirmed the deployment of military personnel to Greenland this week as part of joint activities.
Meanwhile, Greenlandic lawmaker Kuno Fencker was quoted as saying the meeting achieved little beyond delaying the process for the US. After the talks, President Donald Trump questioned Denmark’s ability to defend the territory, reiterating his view that Greenland should fall under US control. Despite sustained American interest driven by the island’s strategic location and mineral resources, Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly rejected any proposal to sell the territory, reaffirming Danish sovereignty.
