Trump's takeover threat: JD Vance to meet Greenland, Denmark foreign ministers; US refuses to rule out force

Greenland sits at the centre of a geopolitical hurricane as US President Donald Trump insists on acquiring the island — a demand that residents of its capital, Nuuk, say is absolutely non-negotiable. Trump has asserted his desire to control Greenland at any cost, and the White House has recently refused to rule out utilising military force to secure the territory.

US Vice President JD Vance is set to meet Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, in Washington on Wednesday. The high-stakes talks concern the Arctic island, which remains a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, a vital NATO ally of the United States, as reported by Associated Press.

Ahead of the summit, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned what he labelled as American “blackmail” regarding Greenland, marking a sharp increase in friction between Washington and its European partners.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told a news conference in the Danish capital Copenhagen on Tuesday, "If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU.”

Asked later on Tuesday about Nielsen's comments, Trump replied: “I disagree with him. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know anything about him. But, that’s going to be a big problem for him.”

Trump stated that he intends to use the island to bolster American security, specifically citing the presence of Russian and Chinese vessels as a primary justification for control. While Denmark has previously allowed the US to expand its existing bases on Greenland, it remains firmly opposed to a total transfer of sovereignty.

On the eve of Wednesday's meeting, Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister for business, called it “unfathomable” that the US would discuss seizing a NATO ally's land. She urged the Trump administration to respect the autonomy of the Arctic people.

Following the White House session, Løkke Rasmussen and Motzfeldt are scheduled to brief the Senate’s Arctic Caucus.

Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine, will host the discussion.

This follows moves by Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Lisa Murkowski, who introduced bipartisan legislation to block the use of federal funds for any non-consensual annexation of a NATO member's territory. A separate congressional delegation is expected in Copenhagen by the weekend.

Last week, major European allies joined Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in a statement affirming that Greenland belongs solely to its people. Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on Wednesday that France will open a consulate in Nuuk on 6 February to strengthen its diplomatic presence.

“Attacking another NATO member would make no sense; it would even be contrary to the interests of the United States. And I’m hearing more and more voices in the United States saying this,” Barrot said. “So this blackmail must obviously stop.”