Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday once again underlined his desire for Greenland, arguing that the United States needs the Arctic island for security reasons and questioning Denmark’s ability to defend it.
His comments came after a closely watched meeting involving senior officials from the US, Denmark and Greenland, suggesting that deep disagreements over the island’s future remain unresolved.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said Greenland was vital not only to American security but also to Denmark’s. He claimed Copenhagen lacked the capacity to prevent potential threats from rivals such as Russia or China.
“There’s really nothing Denmark can do if Russia or China decides to move in,” Trump said. “But there’s a lot we can do. We’ve seen that play out recently.”
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Following talks at the White House with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said the US and Denmark had agreed to establish a joint working group. The group is expected to examine a wide range of issues related to Greenland and could convene in the coming weeks.
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However, both officials made it clear that Washington had not shifted from its position that it must ultimately take control of Greenland, an idea Denmark and Greenland firmly reject.
Rasmussen and Motzfeldt stressed that Greenland’s status as a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark is not up for negotiation, calling any attempt to acquire it a violation of sovereignty. “We were unable to change the American stance,” Rasmussen told journalists in Washington. “The president clearly continues to pursue this ambition regarding Greenland,” Reuters reported.
Trump has previously refused to rule out the use of force to acquire the island. Ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, he wrote on social media that NATO would be significantly stronger if Greenland were under US control, adding that any alternative arrangement would fall short.
