A high-stakes meeting at the White House yesterday between top US officials and representatives from Denmark and Greenland did little to ease tensions over President Donald Trump’s controversial interest in the Danish territory of Greenland.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt met with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the situation. While both sides agreed to form a working group to address security and other concerns regarding the island, Rasmussen admitted afterward that the US position remained firm.
“We didn’t manage to change the American position,” Rasmussen said outside the Danish embassy in Washington. “It’s clear that the president has this wish of taking control over Greenland.”
Trump has repeatedly emphasized Greenland’s strategic and mineral-rich importance, suggesting the US must secure it to prevent Russia or China from gaining influence. His rhetoric, including threats of force, has stirred unease among NATO allies and European nations, who insist that Greenland is not for sale.
Before the meeting, Trump even took to social media, claiming that NATO would be stronger if Greenland were under US control. Rasmussen and Motzfeldt stressed that Denmark shares US concerns about Arctic security, but firmly rejected the notion that Greenland could become American.
Greenlandic leaders, once focusing on independence, are now publicly reinforcing their unity with Denmark. Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen emphasized the importance of self-determination: “It’s not the time to gamble with our right to self-determination, when another country is talking about taking us over. We stand with the kingdom today.” Motzfeldt echoed this sentiment, saying, “We choose the Greenland we know today — as part of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
For local residents, the political tension hits close to home. Liv Aurora Jensen, a craftswoman in Nuuk, admitted she has struggled to sleep: “I was talking to my sister yesterday and told her: ‘I’m trying not to get a panic attack.’”
Analysts describe the meeting as one of the most important in modern Greenlandic history, with hopes that diplomacy can prevent a public humiliation similar to what Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy experienced in 2025.
While the geopolitical battle continues, ordinary Greenlanders are left hoping that decisions made in faraway capitals don’t disrupt the life and safety of their island home.
