Jan 13, 2026, 1:03 p.mJan 13, 2026, 1:03 p.m
In the dispute over US claims to Greenland, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen will meet with US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington this Wednesday.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.Image: keystone
The Greenland Minister responsible for foreign policy, Vivian Motzfeldt, is also expected to take part in the meeting, as the Danish news agency Ritzau reported, citing Rasmussen.
Vance will attend the meeting in the White House at his own request, said the Danish Foreign Minister after a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Copenhagen. They wanted to discuss the situation in a context where they could look each other in the eye. He does not want to make any further comments at this time.
There had previously been a day-long verbal exchange of blows between, among others, US President Donald Trump and Danish politicians such as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen over the matter. Trump wants to annex Greenland to the USA.
Denmark and Greenland then asked for the interview. Greenland, with around 57,000 inhabitants, is largely autonomous, but officially belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark.
The US President Donald Trump.Image: keystone
US President Donald Trump has again threatened to annex Greenland in recent days, citing national security interests. He recently made it clear that he is interested in long-term ownership of Greenland. “We’re talking about acquisition, not about leasing,” he said.
Trump repeatedly justifies the territorial claim by saying that otherwise China or Russia would annex the island. He also referred to the strategic importance of the island and Greenland’s mineral resources.
In principle, US claims to Greenland are not new
Trump has been claiming ownership of Greenland for a long time. He had already caused irritation during his first term in office when he expressed interest in purchasing Greenland. He goes even further with the threatened annexation. The White House recently even expressly did not rule out military intervention.
Denmark and Greenland have vehemently rejected Trump’s claims of ownership for weeks with the support of numerous European partners. If one NATO country attacks another, then everything stops, Denmark’s Prime Minister Frederiksen said. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and is part of NATO. The Arctic island was a Danish colony until 1953 and is now largely autonomous. However, Denmark remains responsible for security and defense policy.
Merz wants to involve the USA
Several NATO states such as Great Britain had recently spoken out in favor of expanding the alliance’s presence in the Arctic. According to diplomats, one proposal envisages a surveillance operation called “Arctic Sentry”. It is intended to take away the argument from the Americans that security in the strategically important region cannot be adequately guaranteed. The plans for a stronger alliance presence in the Arctic are supported by Germany and Great Britain, among others.
German Chancellor Freidrich Merz.Image: keystone
“We share American concerns that this part of Denmark needs to be better protected,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a visit to India. “We simply want to improve the security situation for Greenland together. And I assume that the Americans will also take part in this.” To what extent – “the discussions over the next few days and weeks will show,” said Merz. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has just declared a willingness for Germany to make a greater contribution to military security in the Arctic. (sda/dpa)