The foreign ministers of Greenland and Denmark say they hope to resolve the existential threat posed to them by US President Donald Trump's obsession with taking over the autonomous territory.
Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt described diplomatic talks with the US on Saturday (07.02.2026) as "positive", although she said the fate of the autonomous territory under Denmark remains uncertain, as US President Donald Trump continues to reiterate his desire to have it for the US, citing national security interests.
Still a long way ahead
"We are not yet where we want to be," Motzfeldt said during a joint press conference with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, who opened a new Canadian consulate in Greenland's capital, Nuuk, on Friday. (06.02.2026)
"It's going to be a long road, so where we'll end up is too early to say."
For his part, the Danish Foreign Minister described the situation in similar terms, saying: “We are not out of the crisis and we still do not have a solution,” continuing, “we are in a much better position now, compared to a few weeks ago.”
Trump's efforts began with musings about buying the Arctic island of Greenland from Denmark during his first term in office. Since returning to the White House in January 2025, he has not tired of publicly expressing his desire to snatch the territory from NATO ally Denmark.
Although the US military has the freedom to establish and operate bases freely in Greenland thanks to a 1951 treaty, Trump has insisted that it can only defend the territory if the US actually owns it, calling it a "psychologically significant" step.
Withdrawal from mutual threats
Speaking on the world stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump argued for the US to be given ownership of the territory, although he pulled back from maximalist threats of possible US military action to ensure this vision became a reality.
When EU and NATO allies publicly and aggressively opposed the idea, Trump threatened to impose massive punitive tariffs. He has since backed down from that threat, though allies remain wary of the volatile leader.
This led to the creation of a Denmark-Greenland-US working group, which was formed to address US security concerns. Trump insists that China and Russia are poised to attack Greenland as Arctic ice melts and new shipping lanes open up. Denmark and its other NATO allies say that is not the case.
Lokke Rasmussen said on Saturday that initial talks had already taken place and that more would follow.
Motzfeldt added that he welcomed the opportunity to engage in "direct dialogue" with the US.
Both Greenland and Denmark have stated emphatically that their sovereignty and territorial integrity are absolute "red lines" and are not up for discussion.
Noting that this had been made extremely clear to their American counterparts, Lokke Rasmussen said he thought it was possible "to find a solution while at the same time respecting these red lines."
Asked whether the US was respecting the position of Denmark and Greenland, Lokke Rasmussen said: "I don't want to go into details." /DW
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