• Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen emerged from White House talks calling President Trump’s takeover threats “remarkable”
• The diplomat said both sides would “agree to disagree” as the administration maintains anything less than US control is “unacceptable”
• Meeting comes as Denmark increases military presence in Greenland and NATO allies rally behind Copenhagen

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen characterized President Donald Trump’s threats to seize Greenland as “remarkable” following high-stakes talks at the White House Wednesday, signaling the two NATO allies remain far apart on the Arctic territory’s future.

Rasmussen told reporters after the meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Denmark and the United States would simply “agree to disagree” on the issue — a diplomatic acknowledgment that the roughly hour-long discussion failed to resolve the standoff over the strategic island.

The meeting took place hours after Trump doubled down on his demands, posting on Truth Social that anything less than American control of Greenland was “unacceptable” and that NATO should be “leading the way” for Washington to acquire the territory.

Trump Greenland Threats Escalate Before Meeting

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The president showed no sign of cooling his Arctic ambitions ahead of the talks. In multiple social media posts Wednesday morning, Trump argued that Greenland was essential for the “Golden Dome” missile defense system under development and warned that Russia or China would seize the territory if the United States did not act.

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable.”

The aggressive posture came one day after Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen delivered a blunt rejection of American designs on the island during a joint news conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen.

“Greenland does not want to be owned by the USA. Greenland does not want to be governed by the USA. Greenland will not be part of the USA,” Nielsen declared. “If we have to choose between the USA and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark.”

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When asked about Nielsen’s comments, Trump dismissed the Greenlandic leader: “I don’t know who he is. Don’t know anything about him, but that’s going to be a big problem for him.”

Denmark Increases Arctic Military Presence

As diplomats met in Washington, Denmark’s Defense Ministry announced an expanded military presence in and around Greenland, citing “security tensions” that have spread to the Arctic region.

Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said aircraft, ships and soldiers — including forces from NATO allies — would deploy to the territory in coming days. Sweden confirmed it had sent troops to participate in a Danish-led exercise called Operation Arctic Endurance.

“Security tensions have spread to the Arctic. The Greenland Government and the Ministry of Defence have therefore decided to continue the Defence Force’s increased exercise activity in Greenland in close cooperation with NATO allies.”

The military buildup represents Copenhagen’s effort to demonstrate that European nations can adequately defend the Arctic without American annexation. Last year, Denmark committed more than $4.7 billion to Arctic defense, including ice-breaking patrol vessels and advanced surveillance drones.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned Wednesday that any threat to a European ally’s sovereignty would have “unprecedented” consequences, while France announced plans to open a consulate in Greenland next month.

NATO Alliance Faces Unprecedented Test

The confrontation has raised existential questions about the transatlantic alliance. Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen has repeatedly warned that an American military move against Greenland would mean “the end of NATO,” as Denmark — like the United States — is protected under Article 5’s collective defense provisions.

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor Wednesday to voice disapproval of the administration’s approach, warning against “incinerating the hard-won trust of loyal allies.”

A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation that would prohibit Defense or State Department funds from being used to annex Greenland or any NATO territory without the ally’s consent.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte attempted to downplay the crisis, insisting the alliance was “not at all” in jeopardy while acknowledging the urgency of Arctic security. The administration has suggested acquiring Greenland could cost as much as $700 billion, though Danish and Greenlandic officials have consistently stated the territory is not for sale.

Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt were scheduled to meet with senators from the Congressional Arctic Caucus following their White House discussions, as a separate bipartisan delegation prepares to travel to Copenhagen later this week.

With Denmark characterizing Trump’s demands as “remarkable” and both sides agreeing only to disagree, has the Greenland standoff revealed an unbridgeable divide between NATO’s most powerful member and its European allies?

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