Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt will hold high-level talks with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio after President Donald Trump renewed public pressure over Greenland’s status, including fresh suggestions that the United States could assume control of the strategically located, self-governing territory.
Rasmussen said the goal of the meeting was to shift the dispute from public rhetoric to private diplomacy—“into a meeting room where we can look each other in the eye”—as Copenhagen and Nuuk seek clarity on U.S. intentions and to de-escalate mounting tensions with a key NATO ally.
The talks come amid heightened international concern that Trump’s comments are straining transatlantic relations and inflaming sensitivities in Greenland, where leaders have reiterated that sovereignty is not for sale. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, publicly emphasized the territory’s preference to remain anchored in the Kingdom of Denmark and Western alliances ahead of the Washington engagement.
Greenland is an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, operating under a self-government framework that recognizes Greenlanders’ right to self-determination under international law, while Denmark retains responsibility for areas such as defence and foreign affairs.
Analysts say Washington’s interest reflects Greenland’s growing geopolitical value: its Arctic location, proximity to key North Atlantic routes, and critical mineral potential—alongside existing U.S. strategic infrastructure on the island, including the Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base), a long-standing U.S. installation operating under a Denmark–U.S. defence arrangement.
Denmark has signaled it is prepared to discuss enhanced security cooperation and investment in the Arctic within NATO frameworks, but insists any future arrangement must respect Greenland’s status and the rules-based order.
