A high-level diplomatic meeting between the United States, Denmark, and Greenland on the future of the Arctic territory ended without a clear resolution, underscoring ongoing disagreements over sovereignty and security. While the parties agreed to continue discussions, European troops have been deployed to Greenland to reinforce its security.

The discussions took place on Jan. 14 at the White House and lasted one hour. Participants included US Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, and Greenland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Motzfeldt.

Following the meeting, Rasmussen characterized the talks as “frank but constructive,” while firmly rejecting US President Donald Trump’s repeated statements suggesting Washington should assume control of Greenland, calling such proposals “totally unacceptable.” Despite the lack of a major breakthrough, the talks produced one tangible outcome. The United States, Denmark, and Greenland agreed to establish a high-level working group aimed at identifying possible paths forward for Greenland.

According to Penny Naas, Senior Vice President, Washington-based think tank GMF, the decision helped prevent a more serious escalation. “Greenland’s strategic importance has made it a focal point of sustained US interest, including periodic pushes for acquisition. Yet Greenlanders have been unequivocal: they value their deep ties with Denmark, NATO, and Europe, and do not see their future as part of the United States,” Naas told CNBC by email.

“Bridging this gap, between a US administration that still signals a desire to ‘own’ Greenland and a Greenlandic population firmly committed to self determination, will require creativity and a realistic appreciation of the concerns on all sides,” she added.

Rasmussen said the working group is expected to convene in the coming weeks and will seek areas of compromise. While Denmark and Greenland are open to expanded US military activity on the island, he emphasized that certain lines cannot be crossed.

Public opinion in Greenland strongly opposes becoming part of the United States: a January 2025 poll found only about 6% of residents in favor, while roughly 85% were against it. American attitudes reflect similar reluctance, with a Reuters/Ipsos survey in January 2026 showing just 17% of US respondents supporting efforts to acquire Greenland, and most opposing the use of military force to do so.

Trump Reaffirms Greenland Claims

Ahead of the meeting, President Trump reaffirmed his stance that Greenland must become part of the United States. Trump has repeatedly argued that only the United States is capable of protecting Greenland from growing Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic. “The problem is there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland, but there is everything that we can do,” Trump said.

Experts acknowledge that Moscow and Beijing have increased cooperation in the Arctic, including military coordination and the use of dual-purpose infrastructure. However, Marisol Maddox, Senior Fellow, Institute of Arctic Studies at Dartmouth University, said Greenland has not been the primary focus of those efforts.

Guntram Wolff, Senior Fellow, Bruegel, said Trump’s position is viewed as “totally unacceptable” across Europe and has raised broader concerns about the reliability of the NATO alliance.

“If the US president says he can only defend what he owns, well what he is basically saying is he cannot defend Europe under any circumstances because he does not own Europe, right?” Wolff told CNBC’s “Europe Early Edition” on Thursday. “And so, that means Art. 5 of NATO, the support of the US president for European security, cannot be taken for granted anymore,” he added.

NATO Deploys Troops to Greenland Amid Rising Arctic Tensions

NATO’s Art. 5 provision establishes that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. At Denmark’s request, multiple NATO countries announced plans to send troops to Greenland this week for a coordinated exercise called “Operation Arctic Endurance.” Germany, France, Sweden, and Norway have all confirmed their involvement, demonstrating both political and military backing for Denmark and Greenland.

“As part of the NATO alliance, it is a core priority for the Government of Greenland, that defence and security in and around Greenland are strengthened, and that this is achieved in close cooperation with our NATO allies,” Greenland’s Motzfeldt said.

Rasmus Brun Pedersen, Professor, Aarhus University in Denmark, said NATO members are likely to continue expanding their military footprint in Greenland in an effort to demonstrate seriousness about Arctic security. He suggested that the Trump administration may ultimately frame the increased NATO presence as a political win. “Hopefully the United States will say, OK there were no troops before, but now that President Trump has been able to force its reluctant NATO allies to increase their presence in the region and that can be claimed as a victory.”

However, Pedersen cautioned that even this approach may fail to satisfy Washington’s demands. “So, where the compromise lies, that is a good question.”

US Interest in Greenland

Trump’s renewed focus on Greenland is driven in large part by the island’s substantial mineral wealth. Greenland holds 25 of the 34 minerals classified as critical by the European Commission, including rare earth elements, graphite, copper, nickel, zinc, cobalt, platinum, gold, iron, uranium, and titanium. These materials are vital for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and advanced electronics, positioning the island as a strategic link in global supply chains.

Major rare earth deposits are concentrated in the southern Gardar province, supporting battery-related industries, while graphite resources are widely distributed, with the Amitsoq project among the most advanced. Copper and nickel show strong potential but remain largely underexplored. Northern Greenland hosts extensive zinc mineralization, including the Citronen Fjord zinc-lead project, one of the world’s largest undeveloped deposits. Other resources such as gold, diamonds, iron ore, tungsten, and vanadium are spread across the island, while uranium development has been constrained since a 2021 policy ban.

In addition to its mineral wealth, Greenland’s Arctic location provides significant geostrategic value. The presence of the US military’s Thule Air Base reinforces the island’s importance to defense, missile warning, and space surveillance operations.