U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks followed the Jan. 14 White House meeting between Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and U.S. President Donald Trump. His remarks underline a hardening U.S. position on Greenland that clashes directly with Danish and Greenlandic views of sovereignty.

Trump framed the Arctic island as a national security requirement for the United States and, by extension, NATO, arguing that Denmark lacks the capacity to deter Russia or China. “Greenland is very important for the national security, including of Denmark,” Trump said, adding, “there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland.”, remarks signaling that dialogue has not bridged the core disagreement despite the 2 hour long meeting.

“Unacceptable Breach of Sovereignty”

Despite the impasse, the meeting produced agreement on process, if not substance. Danish Foreign Minister Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said the U.S. and Denmark would establish a working group in the coming weeks to address a broad set of Greenland-related issues. Both emphasized the talks were respectful and acknowledged shared concerns over Arctic security. However, they categorically rejected U.S. acquisition of the island, reiterating that Greenland “is not for sale” and that threats of force are reckless among allies.

Trump has not ruled out the use of force. Ahead of the meeting, he wrote on social media that NATO would be “far more formidable and effective” if Greenland were under U.S. control and added, “Anything less than that is unacceptable.” He has repeatedly argued that Denmark cannot counter Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic, a claim Rasmussen dismissed as inaccurate, saying, “it is not a true narrative that we have Chinese warships all around the place.”

Military Posture and Alliance Signaling

The diplomatic standoff is unfolding alongside visible military signaling. Denmark and Greenland said they have begun increasing their military presence in and around Greenland in cooperation with NATO allies.

Germany, Sweden, and Norway have also announced plans to send military personnel to Greenland in show of solidarity, while some other strong responses were reported in the last few days. Retired French General Michel Yakovleff was reported to have said that if NATO collapses over Trump’s Greenland push, Europe would force U.S. troops out of Europe, reinforcing the message that Arctic security concerns should be addressed collectively within NATO rather than through unilateral control.

The U.S. maintains significant strategic interest in the region, including missile defense and early warning systems, but allies argue these interests do not justify annexation.

“We Stand With the Kingdom”

Political anxiety has been acute in Greenland, where leaders appear to be recalibrating their public messaging. While independence has long been a stated aspiration, recent statements emphasize unity with Denmark. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told Sermitsiaq, a national newspaper in Greenland, “It’s not the time to gamble with our right to self-determination, when another country is talking about taking us over.” He added, “Here and now we are part of the kingdom and we stand with the kingdom.”

Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt echoed that position, saying, “We choose the Greenland we know today, as part of the Kingdom of Denmark.”

U.S. domestic opinion appears unsupportive of Trump’s stance. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted over two days that concluded Tuesday found that only 17% of Americans approved of efforts to acquire Greenland. About 47% disapproved, and majorities across party lines opposed using military force, underscoring a gap between presidential rhetoric and public sentiment.