Greenland: From setting up working group to Denmark's ‘red lines’ warning after talks with Vance, Rubio — Top takeaways

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance held a meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt on Wednesday at the White House amid President Donald Trump's continued threats over Greenland—a vast and sparsely populated autonomous territory belonging to NATO ally Denmark.

Ahead of the discussions, Trump insisted that NATO should back the United States’ push to take control of Greenland, arguing that it was essential for his proposed Golden Dome air and missile defense system.

"NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable," he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

"IF WE DON'T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!" Trump added.

"We agreed that it makes sense to try to sit down on a high level to explore whether there are possibilities to accommodate the concerns of the president while we, at the same time, respect the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark," Denmark's FM stated.

3. They also indicated that Washington had not shifted from its stance that it must acquire Greenland, an autonomous and mineral-rich territory of Denmark with major strategic importance. Rasmussen and Motzfeldt mentioned such a move would amount to an unacceptable violation of sovereignty.

Rasmussen told reporters outside the Danish embassy in Washington, "We didn't manage to change the American position. It's clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland."

4. Rasmussen highlighted the strong security partnership between Denmark, Greenland, and the United States, noting that Danish forces had previously served alongside US troops in Afghanistan during the 2000s. He described Denmark and Greenland as among Washington’s closest allies and said that despite differing views on Greenland’s future, all sides share common concerns over security in the Arctic region.

He also said there was no immediate danger from China or Russia that Denmark and Greenland could not manage, pointing out that there is currently no Chinese presence in Greenland. He played down speculation that such a presence might emerge in the next 10 or 20 years.

Rasmussen further stated that Greenland, via Denmark, is part of NATO and is protected under Article 5, which guarantees collective defence.

5. Rasmussen said that a “fundamental disagreement” remained.

6. He added, “I’m not saying anything is solved. It’s not solved." He termed the meeting as “frank but constructive".

7. Meanwhile, Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt stressed that although Greenland needs to deepen cooperation with the United States as an ally, this should not come at the cost of its sovereignty. "That doesn't mean we want to be owned by the United States," she said, according to ANI.

8. She later noted that it is always in Greenland’s interest to identify the "right path forward" and to work toward stronger mutual understanding.

9. Urging a return to stable relations, Motzfeldt said, "The US and Greenland need to return to the normalised relationship we used to have. It's in both countries' interest to find a balance and work as allies. We are allies, we are friends."

10. At Denmark’s request, several NATO countries have confirmed that they will deploy military personnel to Greenland this week for a joint exercise called “Operation Arctic Endurance". Ahead of the White House meeting, Denmark revealed plans to strengthen its military presence on the island, stating that the activities could include guarding national infrastructure, deploying fighter aircraft, and carrying out naval operations.

Germany, France, Sweden, and Norway have reportedly confirmed their participation to demonstrate support for both Copenhagen and Nuuk.

(With inputs from agencies)