On Wednesday, January 14th, US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt at the White House.
The Danish and Greenlandic officials entered the White House at 11 am Eastern Time, with the focus of the meeting expected to be on defense issues concerning Greenland and the US involvement. At noon, media caught Danish Foreign Minister Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Motzfeldt leaving the White House.
After the meeting, a video from Danish Broadcasting Corporation DR showed Rasmussen fist-bumping with the Danish Ambassador to the US, Jesper Møller Sørensen, as a gesture of respect.
According to reports from the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, Rasmussen and Motzfeldt were expected to give media interviews around 1 pm Eastern Time.
While the White House meeting continued, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen gave an interview in Copenhagen.
Poulsen’s speech in Danish included key points:
1. Denmark will increase its military presence on Greenland and maintain a longer-term deployment in the future.
2. It is unlikely for conflicts to arise among NATO member countries.
3. Any hypothetical US government attack on Greenland is purely speculative.
Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Sandvik announced that Norway would also send two military personnel to Greenland.
Sandvik stated, “Norway has decided to send two Norwegian Armed Forces personnel to Greenland to plan further cooperation among NATO allies.”
He added that discussions within NATO are ongoing on enhancing security in the Arctic region, including Greenland and its surrounding areas.
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed Sweden’s commitment to Denmark’s request by sending military personnel to Greenland, who were scheduled to arrive on the same day.
Kristersson posted on social media, “Some Swedish military officials have arrived in Greenland today. They are representatives from several allied nations and will prepare for various activities under Denmark’s ‘Arctic Endurance Operation’ framework. Sweden has sent armed forces personnel as requested by Denmark.”
Prior to the White House meeting, US President Trump reiterated his interest in taking over Greenland to counter threats from China and Russia.
Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark with strategic significance but a sparse population, has drawn attention in recent diplomatic dialogues.
Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social, stating that the US needed Greenland for national security reasons as it is crucial for the ‘Dome of Gold’ missile defense system they are constructing.
He emphasized the importance of NATO paving the way for the US to acquire Greenland, warning against China and Russia taking advantage of the situation.
Trump concluded by stating that Greenland’s ownership by the US would strengthen NATO and make it more efficient, deeming any other option unacceptable.
The Greenlandic government and Danish Defense Ministry announced strengthened military deployments in Greenland and surrounding areas due to escalating security tensions.
Both entities released statements affirming the decision to intensify defense exercises and cooperate closely with NATO member countries.
Danish Defense Minister Poulsen, prior to the White House negotiations, emphasized Denmark’s intention to bolster its military presence on Greenland and engage in dialogue with NATO to increase military presence in the Arctic region.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen made it clear that Greenland would not become US territory, with the Greenlandic parliament’s unified statement emphasizing their identity as Greenlanders and rejecting external national affiliations.
The US military maintains a permanent presence at Thule Air Base in northwest Greenland, operated by the US Space Force.
This base hosts early warning radar systems essential for the ‘Space Delta 4’ missile defense mission. Situated strategically, it is a key facility within the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Northern Warning System, designed to detect missiles launched towards North America across the Arctic region.
Under a 1951 agreement, the US has the right to construct facilities after notifying Denmark and Greenland of the circumstances.