WASHINGTON — The United States has initiated formal technical discussions with Denmark and Greenland concerning a potential Arctic security arrangement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Wednesday. This development follows a Washington meeting earlier this month between US officials and the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland, which resulted in the establishment of a dedicated working group to resolve diplomatic differences.
The working group represents a diplomatic response to previous calls by President Donald Trump for the United States to acquire Greenland—a semi-autonomous Danish territory—as a strategic measure against growing Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic. These earlier proposals faced strong opposition from Greenland, Denmark, and European allies.
Secretary Rubio, testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, emphasized the confidential nature of the talks, stating, “The process begins today and will continue regularly. We intend to conduct these discussions away from media scrutiny to create greater flexibility for both sides in achieving positive outcomes.”
The Danish Embassy in Washington declined to comment on the commencement of negotiations.
Recent weeks have seen renewed tensions in US-European relations following Trump’s revived suggestions about annexing Greenland, which prompted the president to threaten tariffs against Denmark and several other European nations. These economic threats were subsequently withdrawn after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte helped broker a preliminary framework agreement regarding US access to Greenland’s mineral resources, though specific details remain undisclosed.
Following significant pushback from European allies and concern from financial markets, Trump further de-escalated tensions by publicly removing the option of military force to acquire Greenland during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The president’s softened stance came after Wall Street experienced substantial losses driven by concerns that his Arctic ambitions could trigger a trade war and damage NATO cohesion.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Rubio addressed an exchange with Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) regarding Trump’s verbal confusion between Greenland and Iceland at Davos, noting that presidents throughout history have experienced similar verbal missteps.