Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other White House officials are meeting Wednesday with Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers amid the Trump administration’s ongoing threats to take over Greenland.
The Danish foreign minister confirmed Tuesday that Vance would be hosting the meeting, and that it would be at the White House. Two sources independently confirmed to CBS News that Danish officials would be meeting with Vance and Rubio at the White House.
The meeting comes one day after Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said at a news conference, “If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark.”
President Trump has repeatedly said he wants to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, citing national security reasons. He repeated that again on Wednesday, saying “it is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building” and that “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it.”
“IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” he said. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump told reporters that if Greenland’s premier said the territory wanted to stay part of Denmark, “that’s their problem.”
“I disagree with him,” Mr. Trump said. “I don’t know who he is, don’t know anything about him, but that’s going to be a big problem for him.”
Leaders of both Denmark and Greenland have stated Greenland is “not for sale,” which has led Trump officials to say that the administration is considering all options, including military force.
“I’d love to make a deal with them. It’s easier,” Mr. Trump said Sunday. “But one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.” Rubio has downplayed the possibility of military force to acquire Greenland.
Vance visited Greenland last year. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Tuesday that the Trump administration is applying “completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally.”
Frederiksen said earlier this month that an American military move to seize control of Greenland would amount to the end of the NATO military alliance. Denmark is a NATO member, and NATO’s Article 5 states that if a NATO ally suffers an armed attack, all members will consider it an attack on them as well and do what they need to aid the attacked nation.
