After widespread international anticipation, a fundamental disagreement emerged at the Denmark-Greenland meeting with the White House.
The press conference that followed the trilateral meeting between Denmark, the United States and Greenland in Washington has just ended without reaching a unified agreement, but it resulted in initial understandings and opened a new dialogue, according to the press conference held at the Danish Embassy in the presence of Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt.
The meeting was held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., and was hosted by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also participated. The meeting took place amid escalating international debate over the future of Greenland and Arctic security, and following earlier statements by U.S. President Donald Trump that had sparked widespread tension.
Lars Løkke Rasmussen confirmed during the press conference that the meeting was “honest and constructive,” despite the lack of a final agreement. He said the parties agreed on the importance of sitting down together and exploring whether some of the US president’s demands could be met, while fully respecting the Kingdom of Denmark’s red lines. He added that this is the current course of action.
The Danish Foreign Minister explained that disagreements persist, describing them as “fundamental differences,” but stressed that the parties “agree to disagree” and that dialogue will continue. He affirmed that the United States already has extensive military access to Greenland and can always request an increased military presence, stating, “We are prepared to listen to any additional requests, and we will accept any request in this regard.”.
For her part, Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt emphasized that Greenland wants to strengthen cooperation with the United States as an ally, but she set clear limits to this cooperation. "We want to cooperate, but that doesn't mean we want to be owned by the United States," she said during the press conference, reaffirming Greenland's right to self-determination.
Lars Løkke Rasmussen addressed US President Donald Trump's statements, asserting that some of what was said was inaccurate. He stated that claims of a large Chinese presence in Greenland were unfounded, emphasizing that no actual Chinese presence had been recorded for approximately ten years.
As a result of the meeting, the Danish Foreign Minister announced that Denmark, the United States, and Greenland had agreed to form a joint working group to enhance cooperation and follow up on the discussions held during the meeting. He explained that the working group would hold its first meeting within the next few weeks.
Rasmussen indicated that he partially understands the concerns of the US president, explaining that he knows his style well, and that some issues are raised in a different way, but sometimes reflect real concerns related to security in the Arctic.
The press conference concluded by emphasizing that the meeting did not close the door to the dispute, but it reopened channels of direct dialogue between the three parties, at a time when the Greenland issue remains open to multiple possibilities, pending the outcome of the upcoming meetings of the joint working group.
