Donald Trump has renewed his insistence that the United States "needs" Greenland for national security, even after tense talks with Denmark and Greenland ended without resolving what officials called a fundamental disagreement over the island's future.
Speaking after the meeting, Trump argued again that Denmark could not adequately defend Greenland against rivals such as Russia or China, claiming the United States was the only power capable of doing so. He suggested that American control would strengthen NATO and tie into his planned Golden Dome, despite strong opposition from allies.
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Denmark's foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, rejected the idea outright, saying Washington remained intent on "conquering" Greenland and that Copenhagen had failed to shift the United States position. He urged respectful cooperation instead, stressing that borders could not be changed by force.
Greenland's leaders were equally firm, reiterating that the territory would not be owned or governed by the United States and that its future lay with Denmark, NATO and the EU. European leaders including France and Germany backed Denmark, warning that any challenge to sovereignty would have serious consequences.
Despite agreeing to form a working group to keep discussions alive, the clash underscored growing strains inside NATO, and left Greenland once again at the centre of a geopolitical standoff that started last year and it has repeatedly said it did not choose.