Copenhagen draws red lines on Greenland in talks with Washington

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen met U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt. The meeting followed renewed statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Washington “needs Greenland for national security”.

After the talks, Rasmussen said the sides had “agreed to disagree” on ownership issues but would continue dialogue. “The big difference is whether this must lead to a situation where the United States acquires Greenland, and that is absolutely not necessary,” he said. According to Rasmussen, a high level working group will be formed to address US security concerns “while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark”.

Trump later reiterated his position, telling reporters that “Greenland is very important for national security”, while claiming Denmark could not defend the territory alone. Danish officials rejected suggestions of an imminent Chinese threat. “According to our intelligence, we haven’t had a Chinese warship in Greenland for a decade or so,” Rasmussen said.

Motzfeldt emphasized cooperation without loss of sovereignty. “We are allies and friends, but that doesn’t mean that we want to be owned by the United States,” she said.

Denmark has meanwhile moved to strengthen security in the Arctic, with Sweden, France, Norway and Germany sending limited forces to Greenland at Copenhagen’s request as part of broader NATO efforts.

Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark with about 57,000 inhabitants and a strategic location between North America and Russia.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that U.S. Congressman Randy Fine introduced the Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act in the House of Representatives, proposing the annexation of Greenland and its possible future admission to the United States as a new state.