U.S. Vice President JD Vance will lead Donald Trump’s team in today’s showdown with European leaders over Greenland.
The meeting in Washington comes as tensions between Europe and the United States continue to soar, with Trump repeatedly threatening to seize the mineral-rich island potentially through military force.
Vance personally requested to join the meeting, which was organised by Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, and Greenland’s Vivian Motzfeldt. The pair had originally planned to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Both Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen have firmly rejected the idea of giving the island to the United States.
“We choose the Greenland we know today, which is a part of the Kingdon of Denmark,” Nielsen said at a press conference yesterday.
Despite that, Trump has continued to boast that the island will soon fall under U.S. control, even offering to buy Greenland.
“It’s easier,” he told reporters on Sunday, “But one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”
Vance paid an antagonistic visit to Greenland less than a year ago
JD Vance visited Greenland in March last year, shortly after taking office as vice president.
At the time, Trump had begun repeating his now-familiar desire to take control of Greenland.
Vance’s largely unwelcome visit was part of an alleged effort to emphasise that the island had the right to “self-determination,” with the vice president noting that he hoped they would choose to join the United States.
However, during his visit, Vance remained on Pituffik, the United States’ military base on the island. He did not meet any of the island’s 57,000 residents, according to DW.
His visit was originally slated to be led by Usha Vance, his wife, before he joined the trip.
Owen Scott14 January 2026 09:59
JD Vance will lead Trump team in talks with Denmark and Greenland
Vice President JD Vance will host the crunch-time meeting with Greenland and Denmark’s Prime Ministers today.
The showdown in Washington comes as tensions between Europe and the United States continue to soar, as Donald Trump ramps up his attempts to take control of the mineral rich island.
However, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has repeatedly reiterated that the US will not being given control over the island.
”One thing must be clear to everyone: Greenland does not want to be owned by the US, Greenland does not want to be governed by the US, Greenland does not want to be part of the US,” he told reporters, ahead of the talks. “We choose the Greenland we know today, which is a part of the Kingdon of Denmark.”
Owen Scott14 January 2026 09:40