Washington/Copenhagen, 15 January 2026 (dpa/MIA) - Denmark and the US have a fundamental difference of opinion about the future of Greenland and there has been no solution, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said on Wednesday after talks top US officials in Washington.

The meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Vice President JD Vance follows concerted pressure from the White House for Greenland to be taken over by the US for security reasons.

There is a "fundamental disagreement," Rasmussen told reporters. Greenland’s foreign minister also participated in the talks.

"Today, we came here following a number of how should I put it, remarkable public comments on Greenland and Arctic security," he added.

"We also agree to disagree, and therefore we will, however, continue to talk. We have decided to form a high level working group to explore if we can find a common way forward.

"The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark."

He said the group should meet within a matter of weeks.

The US has a base on Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the Danes believe that framework is enough to ensure for security in the Arctic.

"The US has already a wide military access to Greenland under the 1951 defence agreement, the US can always ask for increasing its presence in Greenland, and therefore we wish to hear if the US had any further request to make. In this aspect, we would examine any such request constructively," Rasmussen added.

Greenland: We want to strengthen cooperation with US

Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt tried to sound concilliatory.

"I think it's very important to say again how important it is from our side to strengthen our cooperation with the United States, but that that doesn't mean that we want to be owned by the United States. But as allies, how we can strengthen our cooperation? It's in our interest," she said.

US President Donald Trump earlier doubled down on his wish to obtain Greenland, with the White House previously saying all options were on the table including a purchase or military action.

"NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable," he posted on Truth Social, citing risks posed by Russia and China.

Denmark and European allies strengthen forces in Greenland

Denmark is increasing its military presence in and around Greenland - which is rich in minerals - with immediate effect. The EU nation is a member of Western military alliance NATO, just like the US. Denmark has questioned the future of NATO if the US continues its sabre-rattling.

Germany, Sweden and Norway are among other European nations to have also sent military personnel to Greenland.

The aim is to train for deployments under the Arctic’s special conditions and to strengthen NATO’s presence, a Danish Foreign Ministry statement said.

On Tuesday, US lawmakers introduced legislation that would bar US Trump's administration from annexing, occupying, or otherwise controlling the territory of a NATO ally without the consent of the partner nation.

It was initially unclear whether the bill has a realistic chance of passing the Senate and later the House of Representatives.

On Wednesday, the White House posted an apparently AI-generated image of sled dogs at a crossroads.

The image on X had the headline "Which way, Greenland man?" and shows two Greenlandic sleds pulled by dogs - one heading towards the White House, the other towards China and Russia.

The sun is shining over the White House, while a storm rages over the Kremlin and the Great Wall of China. Trump has belittled Danish efforts to beef up security in Greenland, saying several times that "two dog sleds" are not enough to defend the Arctic.

The European Parliament on Wednesday condemned the statements made by Trump's administration about Greenland as "unacceptable."

The US stance has no place in relations between democratic partners and, among other things, blatantly challenges international law, according to a parliamentary statement.

Photo: EPA