Greenland leaders meet with Vance and Rubio as Trump ramps up pressure over the island

High-level talks between the United States and the Kingdom of Denmark have ended without resolution, leaving what Danish officials described as a fundamental disagreement with President Donald Trump over his insistence that the United States acquire Greenland. As reported by AP News, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt met this week with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address the dispute.

While no breakthrough was reached, both sides agreed to establish a working group aimed at finding a common way forward. The agreement was framed as a step toward cooperation even as the core disagreement over ownership of the island remains unresolved.

President Trump has continued to escalate his rhetoric, arguing that anything short of American control is unacceptable. Following meetings, he told reporters he would not give up options on acquiring Greenland, saying he believed something would work out and reiterating his view that the island is essential to US security and the Golden Dome missile defense program.

The talks exposed a widening gap between security claims and sovereignty lines

Rasmussen said the proposed working group should focus on addressing US security concerns while respecting what he called the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark. He added that it remains clear the president has a wish to take over Greenland, underscoring the central conflict between American demands and Danish and Greenlandic insistence on cooperation rather than control.

Motzfeldt echoed that position, saying there could be room for closer cooperation if the demand for ownership is dropped. She said Greenlandic officials had clearly outlined their limits and believed it could be productive to look ahead from that point.

The renewed focus on Greenland comes as climate change opens new Arctic shipping routes and highlights the island’s reserves of critical minerals used in modern technology. Some residents remain skeptical of Washington’s security arguments, including 21-year-old Greenlander Maya Martinsen, who said she believes the interest is driven by untouched oil and mineral resources rather than defense concerns.

The pressure campaign has also drawn bipartisan concern in the United States. Senators who met with Danish and Greenlandic officials warned that forcing the issue could destabilize NATO and benefit Russia. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska described the discussions as stunning, saying lawmakers were confronting ideas that once seemed unthinkable, similar to the discussions around the Supreme Court’s influence on election litigation in the US.

Senator Angus King of Maine rejected the premise that US control of Greenland is necessary for national security, calling the argument nonsense. He noted that Danish and Greenlandic leaders were open to additional security assets on the island, and Denmark has already announced a stepped-up Arctic military presence in close cooperation with its allies.