Vice President JD Vance said Denmark had failed to ensure Greenland’s security.
LONDON — Denmark is open to discussions with the U.S. on how to “fix” the status quo in Greenland, the country’s foreign minister said, after Vice President JD Vance accused Copenhagen of failing to adequately protect the Arctic island during a controversial visit on Friday.
In a post to X addressed to Denmark’s “dear American friends” late Friday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said his nation agrees that the “status quo” in the Arctic “is not an option.”
“So let’s talk about how we can fix it — together,” Rasmussen wrote.
In a video statement, Rasmussen acknowledged the “many accusations and many allegations” about Greenland. “Of course, we are open to criticism, but let me be completely honest — we do not appreciate the tone in which it’s being delivered.”
Danish and Greenlandic leaders have pushed back on Trump’s desire to gain control of Greenland. They have simultaneously criticized his perceived overreach while seeking to ease tensions by proposing deeper military and economic cooperation on the Arctic landmass.
“We respect that the United States needs a greater military presence in Greenland, as Vice President Vance mentioned this evening. We — Denmark and Greenland — are very much open to discussing this with you,” Rasmussen said in his statement.
The existing bilateral defense agreement — signed in 1951 — “offers ample opportunity for the United States to have a much stronger military presence in Greenland,” Rasmussen said. “If that is what you wish, then let us discuss it.”
President Donald Trump has repeatedly — both in his first term and since returning to office for his second — expressed his ambition to take control of the island. Rasmussen’s appeal for dialogue came shortly after Vance completed his visit to Greenland, which is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Speaking to American service members at the U.S. Pituffik Space Base on the northwestern coast of Greenland, Vance said, “Well, the president said we have to have Greenland. And I think that we do have to be more serious about the security of Greenland.”
“We can’t just ignore this place,” he continued. “We can’t just ignore the president’s desires.”
Vance said Trump’s administration “respects the self-determination of the people of Greenland,” but suggested the island would be safer under the U.S. security umbrella.
Greenland is already covered by the Article 5 collective defense clause that underpins NATO, of which both Denmark and the U.S. are members.
“Yes, the people of Greenland are going to have self-determination,” Vance said. “We hope that they choose to partner with the United States because we’re the only nation on Earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security — because their security is very much our security.”
Vance accused Denmark of failing to provide adequate security against “very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China and from other nations.”
“Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people. That has to change,” he said.
Rasmussen said that both Denmark and the U.S. had done too little in the Arctic since the end of the Cold War. “We all acted on the assumption that the Arctic was and should be a low tension area, but that time is over,” he said. “Status quo is not am option.”
Trump has repeatedly expressed his ambition to acquire Greenland, despite fierce criticism from leaders in Greenland, Denmark and Europe. There appears little support among Greenlanders for his proposal. A January poll by Verian, commissioned by the Danish paper Berlingske, showed that only 6% of Greenlanders are in favor of becoming part of the U.S., with 9% undecided.
The island sits in a strategic position facing the northern coast of Russia across the Arctic Ocean and close to two shipping routes — the Northeast and Northwest passages. Greenland is also thought to be home to a large amount of valuable mineral deposits. Both the shipping routes and minerals are expected to become more accessible as the warming climate causes sea ice to recede further.
“We have to have Greenland. It’s not a question of: Do you think we can do without it? We can’t,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday. “If you look at Greenland right now, if you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place, and we’re not going to be able to do that.”
“We’re not relying on Denmark or anybody else to take care of that situation,” he added. “And we’re not talking about peace for the United States.”
“Greenland’s very important for the peace of the world — not us, the peace of the entire world,” the president said. “And I think Denmark understands it. I think the European Union understands it. And if they don’t, we’re going to have to explain it to them.”
