Danish officials say US-Greenland talks ended with sharp divide: 'Perspectives continue to differ'

WASHINGTON, DC: Senior officials from Denmark and Greenland said that their positions remained unchanged following high-level talks with the Trump administration on Greenland.

The meeting on Wednesday, January 14, came after President Donald Trump publicly suggested that the US should take complete control of Greenland, prompting diplomatic pushback from Copenhagen and Nuuk.

After discussions with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Danish and Greenlandic leaders addressed the media, acknowledging disagreements but stressing continued dialogue.

The remarks also followed Trump's post on social media about Greenland’s security earlier in the day.

Danish and Greenlandic leaders say differences remain even after talks 

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described the discussions with US officials as “frank, but constructive,” saying that the talks focused on “how to ensure the long-term security in Greenland.”

However, he acknowledged that the sides remained divided.

“Our perspectives continue to differ,” Rasmussen said, adding that “the president has made his view clear,” while Denmark and Greenland “have a different position.”

He reiterated that Denmark believed Greenland’s long-term security could be ensured “inside the current framework,” calling any proposal that did not respect Denmark’s territorial integrity and Greenlandic self-determination “totally unacceptable.”

“We therefore still have a fundamental disagreement, but we also agree to disagree,” Rasmussen said.

He announced that a high-level working group would be established to explore whether the two sides’ views could be brought closer together.

The group would focus on US security concerns in the Arctic while respecting what he described as Denmark’s “red lines,” and is expected to meet within weeks.

Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt briefly addressed the press after Rasmussen, endorsing his remarks and adding that Greenland supported continued cooperation with the US while maintaining its political position. 

Artic security concerns raised as Trump continues public pressure 

Responding to questions, Rasmussen said that there was “definitely a new security situation in the Arctic” and that the “peace dividend is over,” while noting that the US itself had previously reduced its military presence in Greenland from around 10,000 personnel to about 200.

“Now the situation is entirely different and of course, we have to respond to this,” he said. “The big difference is whether that must lead to a situation where the US acquires Greenland, and that is absolutely not necessary.”

Rasmussen also criticized the use of social media to conduct sensitive diplomatic discussions, saying that the meeting provided an opportunity to lower tensions and correct claims, including assertions about foreign military activity in Greenland.

“We have not had a Chinese warship in Greenland for a decade or so,” he said. Motzfeldt echoed his comments, saying Denmark requested the meeting to avoid public confrontation and pursue “a constructive solution where there is room for nuances,” while maintaining respect for sovereignty.

However, earlier on the same day, Trump wrote “only the USA” could safeguard Greenland. 

“Nato: Tell Denmark to get them out of here, NOW! Two dogsleds won’t do it! Only the USA can!!!,” the president added.

He linked to a Danish intelligence report highlighting growing strategic competition in the Arctic involving Russia, China and the United States.

Despite the continued rhetoric, Rasmussen said that both sides had agreed to keep talking. “We want to work closely with the US, but it must be of course a respectful kind of cooperation,” he said.