LONDON — Denmark is open to discussions with the U.S. on the right way to “repair” the established order in Greenland, the nation’s international minister mentioned, after Vice President JD Vance accused Copenhagen of failing to adequately shield the Arctic island throughout a controversial go to on Friday.
In a submit to X addressed to Denmark’s “expensive American associates” late Friday, Danish International Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen mentioned his nation agrees that the “establishment” within the Arctic “just isn’t an choice.”
“So let’s speak about how we will repair it — collectively,” Rasmussen wrote.
In a video assertion, Rasmussen acknowledged the “many accusations and plenty of allegations” about Greenland. “After all, we’re open to criticism, however let me be fully trustworthy — we don’t admire the tone by which it is being delivered.”
Vice President JD Vance speaks the U.S. navy’s Pituffik Area Base in Greenland, Mar. 28, 2025.
Jim Watson/Pool/AFP through Getty Photographs
“This isn’t the way you communicate to your shut allies,” Rasmussen continued, “and I nonetheless take into account Denmark and the USA to be shut allies.”
Danish and Greenlandic leaders have pushed again on Trump’s want to achieve management of Greenland. They’ve concurrently criticized his perceived overreach whereas searching for to ease tensions by proposing deeper navy and financial cooperation on the Arctic landmass.
“We respect that the USA wants a better navy presence in Greenland, as Vice President Vance talked about this night. We — Denmark and Greenland — are very a lot open to discussing this with you,” Rasmussen mentioned in his assertion.
The present bilateral protection settlement — signed in 1951 — “affords ample alternative for the USA to have a a lot stronger navy presence in Greenland,” Rasmussen mentioned. “If that’s what you want, then allow us to talk about it.”
Conventional Greenlandic housing is seen from the Myggedalen viewpoint, March 28, 2025 in Nuuk, Greenland.
Leon Neal/Getty Photographs
President Donald Trump has repeatedly — each in his first time period and since returning to workplace for his second — expressed his ambition to take management of the island. Rasmussen’s enchantment for dialogue got here shortly after Vance accomplished his go to to Greenland, which is an autonomous territory throughout the Kingdom of Denmark.
Chatting with American service members on the U.S. Pituffik Area Base on the northwestern coast of Greenland, Vance mentioned, “Properly, the president mentioned we now have to have Greenland. And I believe that we do must be extra critical in regards to the safety of Greenland.”
“We won’t simply ignore this place,” he continued. “We won’t simply ignore the president’s needs.”
Vance mentioned Trump’s administration “respects the self-determination of the folks of Greenland,” however recommended the island can be safer underneath the U.S. safety umbrella.
Greenland is already lined by the Article 5 collective protection clause that underpins NATO, of which each Denmark and the U.S. are members.
President Donald Trump speaks within the Oval Workplace throughout a swearing-in ceremony on the White Home, March 28, 2025 in Washington.
Saul Loeb/AFP through Getty Photographs
“Sure, the folks of Greenland are going to have self-determination,” Vance mentioned. “We hope that they select to accomplice with the USA as a result of we’re the one nation on Earth that may respect their sovereignty and respect their safety — as a result of their safety could be very a lot our safety.”
Vance accused Denmark of failing to supply sufficient safety towards “very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China and from different nations.”
“Our message to Denmark could be very easy: You haven’t achieved a great job by the folks of Greenland. You have got underinvested within the folks of Greenland, and you’ve got underinvested within the safety structure of this unbelievable, stunning landmass full of unbelievable folks. That has to vary,” he mentioned.
Rasmussen mentioned that each Denmark and the U.S. had achieved too little within the Arctic for the reason that finish of the Chilly Battle. “All of us acted on the belief that the Arctic was and needs to be a low rigidity space, however that point is over,” he mentioned. “Established order just isn’t am choice.”
Trump has repeatedly expressed his ambition to accumulate Greenland, regardless of fierce criticism from leaders in Greenland, Denmark and Europe. There seems little help amongst Greenlanders for his proposal. A January ballot by Verian, commissioned by the Danish paper Berlingske, confirmed that solely 6% of Greenlanders are in favor of turning into a part of the U.S., with 9% undecided.
Vice President JD Vance and Second Woman Usha Vance board Air Drive Two after touring the U.S. navy’s Pituffik Area Base in Greenland, March 28, 2025.
Jim Watson/POOL/AFP through Getty Photographs
The island sits in a strategic place going through the northern coast of Russia throughout the Arctic Ocean and shut to 2 transport routes — the Northeast and Northwest passages. Greenland can be considered residence to a considerable amount of useful mineral deposits. Each the transport routes and minerals are anticipated to change into extra accessible because the warming local weather causes sea ice to recede additional.
“We now have to have Greenland. It isn’t a query of: Do you assume we will do with out it? We won’t,” Trump mentioned within the Oval Workplace on Friday. “Should you have a look at Greenland proper now, if you happen to have a look at the waterways, you’ve Chinese language and Russian ships all over, and we’re not going to have the ability to try this.”
“We’re not counting on Denmark or anyone else to deal with that scenario,” he added. “And we’re not speaking about peace for the USA.”
“Greenland’s crucial for the peace of the world — not us, the peace of your entire world,” the president mentioned. “And I believe Denmark understands it. I believe the European Union understands it. And if they do not, we’ll have to clarify it to them.”
ABC Information’ Hannah Demissie, Molly Nagle and Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.