The United States, Denmark and Greenland have agreed to establish a high-level working group to explore possible areas of compromise as a fundamental disagreement continues over the future of Greenland, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has said.
Rasmussen spoke after meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, at the White House. He described the talks as frank but constructive, focused on ensuring long-term security in Greenland, while acknowledging that Denmark and Greenland’s perspectives remain different from that of the United States.
He said U.S. President Donald Trump has made his position clear, but Denmark holds a different view, stressing that Greenland’s long-term security can be ensured within the current framework. According to Rasmussen, the parties agreed it was necessary to engage at a high level to see whether the concerns of the U.S. president could be addressed while still respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark. He added that the working group is expected to meet for the first time within weeks.
Rasmussen warned that any ideas that do not respect the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark or the right of self-determination of the Greenlandic people are totally unacceptable.
On Wednesday, Trump said anything less than Greenland becoming part of the United States would be unacceptable, citing U.S. national security interests and the Golden Dome project.
On Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen held a joint press conference in Copenhagen to present a united front against Trump’s repeated threats to acquire Greenland. Nielsen said that if
Greenland were forced to choose between the United States and Denmark, it would choose Denmark.
Frederiksen said Denmark is facing completely unacceptable pressure from its closest ally and warned that the most difficult period may still lie ahead.
Since his first term, Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to acquire Greenland. Both Denmark and Greenland have consistently said the island is not for sale, while the White House has stated that Trump will not rule out the use of force.
Greenland is the world’s largest island and a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with Copenhagen retaining control over defense and foreign policy. The United States currently maintains a military base on the island.