‘We don’t want to be owned by the US’: Denmark, Greenland push back at Trump

Denmark and Greenland have confirmed that the United States has agreed to set up a joint working group to explore future cooperation on Greenland, even as all sides acknowledge that tangible progress remains limited for now.

Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said discussions at the White House with US vice-president J.D. Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio were “frank but constructive”, but stressed that Denmark and Greenland remain firmly opposed to any notion of a US takeover of the Arctic territory.

“We still have fundamental disagreement,” Rasmussen said, while underlining that dialogue between Copenhagen, Nuuk and Washington would continue. He made it clear that any proposal undermining Danish sovereignty or Greenland’s right to self-determination was “totally unacceptable”.

Rasmussen added that Denmark is willing to strengthen its security commitments to Greenland, but said its position on sovereignty and self-rule is non-negotiable. He also rejected claims of an expanding Chinese or Russian military presence in the region, saying there was no evidence of an immediate threat.

“According to our intelligence, we have not had a Chinese warship in Greenland for a decade or so,” he said, adding that Denmark and Greenland are capable of managing any security challenges that arise.

The Danish minister also defended the continued use of dog sledges by special forces in Greenland, dismissing criticism from US President Donald Trump, who has questioned their relevance. Rasmussen said they remain highly effective for mobility in the harsh Arctic environment.

Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt echoed Denmark’s stance, saying Nuuk was keen to work closely with Washington but would not compromise its independence.

“That does not mean we want to be owned by the United States,” she said, stressing that cooperation should not be confused with surrendering control. Motzfeldt called for a reset in relations and urged all sides to return to a more “normalised relationship”, highlighting the importance of balance and alliance-building in the strategically sensitive Arctic.

The comments come amid renewed remarks by President Trump advocating US control over Greenland on national security grounds and as part of strengthening NATO. In a recent social media post, Trump said anything short of US control was “unacceptable”, arguing that Greenland would make NATO more formidable.

Responding to those remarks, Rasmussen said the United States had no need to acquire Greenland and again dismissed suggestions of an urgent threat from Russia or China. “Denmark is by all means on the right side of history,” he said.

Denmark has already increased its military activity in Greenland over the past year. Rasmussen said the Danish Defence Command has expanded training deployments and maintained a sustained Arctic presence through routine missions and planned future operations.

With IANS inputs