Danish and Greenlandic officials said Wednesday that talks with the Trump administration failed to shift Washington’s position on Greenland, as President Donald Trump continues to signal his intent to seize control of the self-governing Arctic territory despite firm objections from its leaders and growing concern among U.S. allies.
Following a meeting at the White House with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt told reporters that discussions lasting less than two hours produced no diplomatic breakthrough.
“We didn’t manage to change the American position,” Rasmussen said. “It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland.”
Rasmussen said Denmark remains willing to cooperate with the United States but stressed that such cooperation must respect sovereignty and international norms. Denmark wants to “work with our American friends and allies,” he said, adding that “it must be respectful cooperation.”
Motzfeldt said the meeting was used to clearly communicate Greenland’s limits. She said she and Rasmussen sought to show U.S. officials “where our limits are,” while expressing a “hope for mutual understanding” in any future talks.
That hope was quickly undermined by Trump’s public comments later the same day. While taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked directly whether he would respect Greenland’s position. He declined to do so, repeating claims that U.S. control of the territory is necessary for security reasons.
“Well, we’re gonna see what happens with Greenland,” Trump said. “We need Greenland for national security… If we don’t go in, Russia is gonna go in and China is gonna go in. And there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it. But we can do everything about it. We’re going to see what happens, but we need it.”
European officials have rejected Trump’s argument, noting that Greenland is already covered by NATO’s collective defense obligations because it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Under the alliance’s charter, the United States would be required to defend Greenland if it were attacked, a fact that directly contradicts Trump’s claim that U.S. control is necessary to prevent foreign encroachment.
As Trump has refused to retreat from his position, several European countries have moved to demonstrate solidarity with Denmark and signal deterrence. NATO allies announced new troop deployments to Greenland as part of a multinational exercise requested by Copenhagen.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a post on X that “several officers from the Swedish Armed Forces are arriving in Greenland today.” He said the personnel are “part of a group from several allied countries” preparing for the Danish exercise Operation Arctic Endurance and emphasized that “it is at Denmark’s request that Sweden is sending personnel from the Armed Forces.”
Germany also confirmed it would deploy troops. A government spokesperson told Reuters that German soldiers would arrive in Greenland, with more than a dozen reconnaissance troops expected to take part. According to Politico and Newsweek, Canada and the Netherlands have also pledged forces, while French involvement has been confirmed by diplomats.
The Danish government said the expanded military presence reflects growing instability in the Arctic. “Security policy tensions have spread to the Arctic,” the government said in a statement. “The Government of Greenland and the Ministry of Defence have therefore decided to continue the Armed Forces’ increased exercise activity in Greenland in close cooperation with NATO allies.”
The Greenland dispute has heightened concerns across Europe that Trump’s threats could undermine NATO cohesion by normalizing the use of territorial pressure between allies. Analysts warn that such rhetoric risks weakening the alliance’s core principle of collective defense and mutual respect for sovereignty.
Trump has repeatedly insisted that U.S. control of Greenland is essential. In a Truth Social post on January 14, he wrote, “The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security,” calling it “vital” for U.S. defense strategy.
Danish and Greenlandic leaders have repeatedly rejected any transfer of sovereignty. Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with its own parliament and government since 1979, while Denmark retains authority over foreign policy and defense.
“Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is for Greenlanders alone to decide,” the Danish government said in a recent statement.
Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, underscored that position at a press conference, saying, “If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark.”
Diplomatic discussions among the United States, Denmark, and Greenland are expected to continue, but European officials say there is little evidence that Washington is prepared to change course. In the meantime, allied troop deployments are set to continue as part of ongoing exercises, signaling that European governments are treating Trump’s statements as a serious challenge to regional stability.
As Rasmussen said after the White House meeting, “We didn’t manage to change the American position.”
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