By Anietie Anii-Bassey
Denmark’s foreign minister said Tuesday that U.S. Vice President JD Vance will host a high-level meeting in Washington this week with Danish and Greenlandic officials, as diplomatic tensions intensify over the Trump administration’s renewed push to bring Greenland under U.S. control.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the talks will bring together himself, Greenland’s foreign affairs chief Vivian Motzfeldt and senior U.S. officials at the White House. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to attend. The meeting had initially been anticipated as a bilateral discussion between Danish and U.S. officials, but Rasmussen said Vance asked to take part and will now host the gathering.
Speaking to reporters after a closed-door session of Denmark’s parliamentary foreign policy committee, Rasmussen described the development as a sign of how seriously Washington is treating the issue. Neither the White House nor the vice president’s office immediately responded to requests for comment.
Greenland, the world’s largest island, is a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and holds strategic importance due to its location in the Arctic, its natural resources and its role in transatlantic security. Denmark is a longtime NATO ally of the United States, and the growing dispute has strained what has traditionally been a close relationship.
Rasmussen, a former Danish prime minister, has served as foreign minister since 2022 under Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Both he and Frederiksen have repeatedly stressed that Greenland is not for sale and that any decisions about its future must be made by the people of Greenland themselves.
The diplomatic friction has escalated sharply this month after President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration openly revived the idea of U.S. control over Greenland. The White House has reportedly examined a range of scenarios, including economic pressure and, in extreme discussions, the possible use of military force, to secure the territory.
Trump intensified the rhetoric over the weekend, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that the United States must “take Greenland” to prevent Russia or China from expanding their influence in the Arctic. While saying he would prefer to “make a deal,” the president added bluntly that “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland,” comments that sparked alarm in Copenhagen and Nuuk.
In response to the growing strain, a bipartisan delegation from the U.S. Congress is scheduled to travel to Copenhagen on Friday and Saturday. The visit is intended to demonstrate continued cooperation between the United States and Denmark and to reassure Danish leaders amid concerns that Washington’s stance could undermine alliance unity.
Ahead of that visit, Prime Minister Frederiksen is expected to meet in Copenhagen with Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, as well as the leader of the Faroe Islands, Denmark’s other semi-autonomous territory.
The meeting is part of a regular gathering of political leaders and lawmakers from across the Danish realm, but it takes on added significance as debates over sovereignty, security and Arctic strategy intensify.
As preparations continue for the Washington talks, officials in Denmark and Greenland have emphasized the importance of dialogue while firmly rejecting any suggestion that Greenland’s status can be decided without the consent of its population.
The outcome of the meeting hosted by Vance is expected to set the tone for future negotiations and could shape relations between Washington and its Nordic allies at a time of heightened geopolitical competition in the Arctic.
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