'Fundamental disagreement': Vance, Rubio's Greenland meeting signals friction with Danish officials

After an hour-long meeting with the US officials, Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said that there is still a “fundamental disagreement” over the Greenland issue as US President Donald Trump remains stern on his ambition to take over the autonomous Danish territory. The Danish foreign minister said the meeting with Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday had been “frank but constructive”.

However, he maintained that Trump was insisting on “conquering” Greenland, which was “totally unacceptable”. “We made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of [Denmark],” he said. Soon after the meeting, Trump reiterated that Greenland is "crucial" for American national security, questioning Denmark’s capability to defend the Arctic territory.

While the hour-long meeting between the US, Denmark and Greenland officials failed to bring a major breakthrough, all sides agreed to set up a high-level working group to discuss the future of the overseas Danish territory. While speaking to reporters outside the White House, Rasmussen said there were “red lines” the US could not cross, and the working group would meet in the coming weeks to find a compromise.

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He went on to mention that both Denmark and Greenland were open to the possibility of the US opening more military bases on the island. “It’s productive to start discussions at a high level,” he said. Rasmussen also noted that there was an “element of truth” in Trump’s view that security should be bolstered to counter Russian and Chinese interests in the Arctic. However, he made it clear that Trump’s remarks about the presence of Russian and Chinese warships around Greenland were “not true”.

Why Greenland matters

Despite the Arctic region being sparsely populated, Greenland’s location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks and for monitoring vessels in the region. In light of this, Trump has repeatedly said that the island is vital for national security.

It is pertinent to note that the United States already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base in Greenland’s northwestern tip, a facility that has been operated by the US since World War 2. Under the existing agreement with Denmark, the US has the power to bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland.

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Following the talks on Wednesday, which involved US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greenland Vivian Motzfeldt said the territory was open to greater co-operation with the US but also opposed a takeover. “We have shown where our limits are,” Motzfeldt said.

Meanwhile, Vance and Rubio did not immediately comment after the meeting. Trump repeatedly told reporters in the Oval Office: “We need Greenland for national security.” “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,” he said, adding that he does not believe the US can rely on Denmark to defend the island.

The talks also took place as allies in Europe moved quickly to show support for Greenland. On Wednesday, Sweden pledged to send armed forces to the territory at Denmark’s request. France’s foreign minister said the country planned to open a consulate on the island next month.

Meanwhile, Germany said in a statement provided to the BBC 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”. Amid the support, Denmark said its military expansion in Greenland will take place “in close co-operation with allies”. “Geopolitical tensions have spread to the Arctic,” it said in a statement.

Overall, it remains unclear if the president is considering using military force to seize the island, and he once again declined to rule it out when asked on Wednesday. Other options reportedly under consideration include purchasing the territory, though neither Danes nor Greenlanders have said it is for sale.