President Donald Trump on Wednesday reaffirmed his demand for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, warning that Denmark is incapable of protecting the Arctic territory from Russia or China.
The remarks followed a high-stakes White House meeting between U.S. officials and the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland. While the three sides agreed to form a "working group" to address security concerns, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen admitted that a "fundamental disagreement" remains over the island's sovereignty.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump insisted that U.S. ownership of Greenland is a national security imperative. "Denmark can't do anything if Russia or China wants to occupy it, but we can. You saw that last week with Venezuela," he said, referencing recent U.S. military actions in South America.
Despite his aggressive rhetoric, Trump added a vague note of optimism, saying, "I think something will work out."
In a direct response to Trump’s criticism that Denmark’s defense of the island consists of only "two dog sleds," Copenhagen announced an immediate surge in military presence.
Danish Air Force planes arrived in Nuuk on Wednesday, carrying personnel for expanded exercises that will continue throughout 2026. In a show of European solidarity, NATO allies including Germany, Sweden, Norway, and France also announced they would send troops to the island.
Danish Minister Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt described the talks with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as "frank." However, they firmly rejected the idea of a sale or annexation.
"The president has this wish of conquering Greenland," Rasmussen told reporters. "We made it very clear that this is not in our interest."
Polls show that Trump’s ambitions lack popular support at home; a recent Reuters/Ipsos survey found only 17% of Americans approve of acquiring Greenland, with most opposing the use of military force.
