China Denmark: No agreement with USA in Greenland crisis talks
Even after the crisis talks between the USA, Denmark and Greenland, there is still no solution to the conflict over the Arctic island. There is still a "fundamental difference of opinion" between the parties, said Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen after the meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Vice President JD Vance, which was also attended by Vivian Motzfeldt, the minister responsible for Greenland's foreign policy.
14.01.2026, 20:29
SDA
US President Donald Trump had already made it clear before the one-hour meeting in a US government building near the White House that he would not deviate one millimeter from his territorial claim. Anything other than Greenland in the hands of the United States would be "unacceptable", Trump wrote on his mouthpiece Truth Social.
Rasmussen said they had traveled to Washington after "a series of, shall I say, remarkable public statements on Greenland and Arctic security". "Our goal was to find a common way to enhance that security."
Rasmussen said that it had been agreed to form a high-level working group to see if a common path could be found that would take into account both American security interests and the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark. This working group should meet for the first time within weeks.
Trump remains firm: "Anything else is unacceptable"
In recent days, Trump had repeatedly justified his claim with security issues and a threat from Russia and China. The US government had not ruled out taking the island by force.
Membership of NATO is not sufficient protection - neither for Greenland nor for the USA, Trump had written before the meeting. Greenland is elementary for the construction of the planned "Golden Dome" missile defense, Nato should therefore pave the way for a US takeover of the island, Trump wrote. In capital letters, he threatened that otherwise China or Russia would do so. He would prevent that. Trump had repeatedly referred to the increasing presence of Russian and Chinese ships in the region.
Is this true about the Russian and Chinese presence?
China in particular is causing concern among Western military personnel. The Commander-in-Chief of NATO forces in Europe, Alexus G. Grynkewich, recently commented on possible threats from China, stating that the country is becoming increasingly aggressive, particularly in the far north. The Chinese were sending research vessels to the region, which were then presumably carrying out military explorations under a scientific guise. During the most recent ice-free season, ships stayed off the north coast of Alaska for an exceptionally long time. There are also joint patrols with the Russians.
Denmark increased its military presence on Greenland on Wednesday with the support of Sweden and Norway. This was done in connection with military exercises involving aircraft, ships and soldiers - and in close cooperation with NATO allies, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Greenland Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Research.
During a press conference, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen responded to the question of how the military would react to an attack by saying that this was a "hypothetical" situation. "But the order is that you have to defend the kingdom if you are attacked," he said.
What role does Nato play?
In order to defuse the conflict, several alliance states have recently spoken out in favor of a stronger alliance presence in the region - including Germany. Among other things, the launch of a new surveillance mission called "Arctic Sentry" is being discussed. This would be a different mission to the one Denmark announced on Wednesday.
However, Trump has not been dissuaded by this so far. NATO can only develop an effective deterrent thanks to the USA, the US President wrote, adding that this is thanks to the strengthening of the US armed forces during his first term in office. NATO would be far more formidable and effective with a US-controlled Greenland.
The European Parliament condemned this and previous statements by the Trump administration on Greenland as "unacceptable". Any attempt "to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark and Greenland is contrary to international law and the Charter of the United Nations", the EU Parliament said.
