By GEIR MOULSON, Related Press
U.S., Danish and Greenlandic officers have met nose to nose to debate President Donald Trump’s ambitions to take management of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. On the identical time, Denmark and several other European allies are sending troops to Greenland in a pointed sign of intent to spice up the huge Arctic island’s safety.
Danish International Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated after a gathering in Washington on Wednesday along with his Greenlandic counterpart, U.S. President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio {that a} “fundamental disagreement” remained. He acknowledged that “we didn’t manage to change the American position” however stated he hadn’t anticipated to.
Denmark’s International Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s International Minister Vivian Motzfeldt communicate at a information convention on the Embassy of Denmark, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photograph/John McDonnell)
Nevertheless, Wednesday’s occasions did level to methods forward.
Trying to find a compromise
Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. agreed to type a high-level working group “to explore if we can find a common way forward,” Løkke Rasmussen stated. He added that he expects the group to carry its first assembly “within a matter of weeks.”
Danish and Greenlandic officers didn’t specify who could be a part of the group or give different particulars. Løkke Rasmussen stated the group ought to deal with how you can handle U.S. safety considerations whereas respecting Denmark’s “red lines.” The 2 nations are NATO allies.
“Whether that is doable, I don’t know,” he added, holding out hope that the train may “take down the temperature.”
He wouldn’t elaborate on what a compromise may appear to be, and expectations are low. As Danish Protection Minister Troels Lund Poulsen put it Thursday, having the group is best than having no working group and “it’s a step in the right direction.” It is going to a minimum of enable the 2 sides to speak with one another fairly than about one another.
Trump has argued repeatedly that the U.S. wants management of Greenland for its nationwide safety. He has sought to justify his requires a U.S. takeover by repeatedly claiming that China and Russia have their very own designs on Greenland, which holds huge untapped reserves of important minerals.
Sending a army sign
Simply because the talks have been going down in Washington on Wednesday, the Danish Protection Ministry introduced that it was rising its army presence in Greenland, together with NATO allies. France, Germany, Norway and Sweden introduced that they have been every sending very small numbers of troops in a symbolic however pointed transfer signaling solidarity with Copenhagen.
An Airbus A400M transport plane of the German Air Power taxis over the grounds at Wunstorf Air Base within the Hanover area, Germany, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 as troops from NATO nations, together with France and Germany, are arriving in Greenland to spice up safety. (Moritz Frankenberg/dpa by way of AP)
The U.Ok. stated one British officer was a part of what it known as a reconnaissance group for an Arctic endurance train. The German Protection Ministry, which dispatched 13 troops, stated the purpose is to sound out “possibilities to ensure security with a view to Russian and Chinese threats in the Arctic.” It stated it was sending them on a joint flight from Denmark as “a strong signal of our unity.”
Poulsen stated that “the Danish Armed Forces, together with a number of Arctic and European allies, will explore in the coming weeks how an increased presence and exercise activity in the Arctic can be implemented in practice,” he stated.
On Thursday, he stated the intention was “to establish a more permanent military presence with a larger Danish contribution,” and to ask allies to participate in workouts and coaching on a rotating foundation, in response to Danish broadcaster DR.
Whereas the European troops are largely symbolic at this level, the timing was no accident.
The deployment “serves both to send a political signal and military signal to America, but also indeed to recognize that Arctic security should be reinforced more,” stated Maria Martisiute, an analyst on the European Coverage Middle in Brussels. “And first and foremost, this should be done through allied effort, not by the U.S. coming and wanting to take it over. So it complicates the situation for the U.S.”
Speaking to NATO
The European efforts are Danish-led and never coordinated via NATO, which is dominated by america. However the European allies are eager to maintain NATO in play, and Germany stated that “the aim is to obtain a well-founded picture on the ground for further talks and planning within NATO.”
Poulsen has stated he and Greenland’s overseas minister plan to satisfy NATO Secretary Common Mark Rutte in Brussels on Monday to debate safety in and across the Arctic. NATO has been finding out methods to bolster safety within the Arctic area.
“I’m really looking forward for an announcement of some kind of military activity or deployment under NATO’s framework,” Martisiute stated. “Otherwise there is indeed a risk that … NATO is paralyzed and that would not be good.”
Sylvain Plazy in Brussels contributed to this report.
