Germany will send 13 soldiers to Greenland as part of a reconnaissance mission with other European nations as US-Denmark talks end in “fundamental disagreement”.
A meeting on Wednesday between senior US officials and the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland did little to curb President Donald Trump’s ambitions to take control of the territory.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Greenland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Motzfeldt, the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Denmark, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, said the US and Denmark's positions on the future of Greenland differ.
"We still have fundamental disagreement" but described the meeting as “frank but constructive”.
It comes as Denmark has requested troops from Sweden, Norway, and Germany to Greenland to assess potential military contributions to the region’s security, according to the defence ministry.
Following the White House meeting between Rasmussen, Motzfeldt and their US counterparts Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Rasmussen said the US and Denmark would form a working group to discuss a broad array of concerns regarding the Danish overseas territory.
But he also made clear that Washington had not budged on its position that it must acquire Greenland, an outcome Rasmussen and Motzfeldt described as an unacceptable breach of sovereignty.
"We didn't manage to change the American position," Rasmussen told reporters outside the Danish embassy in Washington after the meeting concluded.
"It's clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland."
Trump has repeatedly said in recent weeks that the strategically located and mineral-rich island is vital to US security, and the United States must own it to prevent Russia or China from occupying it.
He has said all options are on the table for securing the territory, rhetoric that has caused turmoil within the NATO alliance.
Before the meeting, which lasted around two hours, Trump argued on social media that NATO would become far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the U.S.
"Anything less than that is unacceptable," he wrote.
In a follow-up post citing Russia and China, Trump wrote: "NATO: Tell Denmark to get them out of here, NOW! Two dogsleds won’t do it! Only the USA can!!!"
Greenland and Denmark say the island is not for sale, and that threats of force are reckless and security concerns should be resolved among allies.
Prominent EU countries have backed Denmark, which is a member of the NATO alliance.
