Trump: US 'cannot rely' on Denmark to defend strategic Greenland

US President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetorical campaign to acquire Greenland, publicly declaring that the United States "cannot rely on Denmark" to defend the strategic Arctic territory from foreign adversaries. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump dismissed recent Danish security enhancements in the region as insufficient to counter Russian or Chinese ambitions.

A Dismissive Assessment of Allied Capabilities

In characteristically blunt terms, Trump cast doubt on Denmark's military capacity. "I can't rely on Denmark being able to fend themselves off," he stated, adding sarcastically, "They were talking about it, they put an extra dog sled there. Last month, they entered a second dog sled that's not going to do the trick." He framed the issue as a binary choice for US national security: "If we don't go in, Russia is going to go in, and China's going to go in. And there's not a thing that Denmark can do about it, but we can do everything."

Firm Danish Rejection and Diplomatic Divergence

The president's comments came immediately after a high-level meeting at the White House between US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt. Following the talks, Rasmussen acknowledged a clear impasse, stating, "We didn't manage to change the American position. It's clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland." He reiterated that such ambitions are "not in the interest of the kingdom" and violate the sovereignty of Denmark and the right of self-determination for Greenland's people.

A Working Group Amidst Fundamental Disagreement

Despite the profound disagreement on sovereignty, the two sides agreed to establish a high-level working group to explore paths forward on Arctic security cooperation. This diplomatic mechanism suggests an attempt to manage the crisis and find areas of practical collaboration, even as the core dispute over Greenland's political future remains unresolved. The autonomous Danish territory's strategic location and vast mineral resources continue to drive Washington's interest, while Copenhagen and Nuuk remain unified in their rejection of any transfer of control.