Listen to the article
By Sean Rayment
High-level talks over the future of Greenland will take place between the US and Denmark at the White House this week.
The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland will meet US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, the Danish foreign minister said, amid President Donald Trump’s push to take control of the Arctic island.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt requested a meeting with Rubio after Mr Trump recently intensified threats to take over Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
“US Vice President JD Vance also wanted to participate in the meeting, and he will host it, which is why it will be held at the White House,” Rasmussen told reporters in Copenhagen on Tuesday.
“Our reason for seeking the meeting we have now been given was to move this whole discussion into a room where we can look each other in the eye and talk about these matters,” he added.
The US president first floated the idea of a US takeover of Greenland in 2019 during his first term in office, although he faces opposition in Washington, including from members of his own party.
While Denmark has ruled Greenland for centuries, the territory has gradually moved towards independence since 1979, a goal shared by all political parties elected to the island’s parliament.
President Trump has reiterated his desire to seize control of the world’s largest island.
He has said he wants to make a deal with Greenland and will not allow Russia or China to take control of the Arctic territory. He added that making a deal would be easier than taking control of the territory through military means but insisted it would happen one way or another, even if it strains relations with NATO.
“If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will, and I am not going to let that happen,” he told reporters on board Air Force One.
“I would love to make a deal with them, it is easier. But one way or another, we are going to have Greenland.”
The president said that Greenland does not want Russia or China to take over, adding that the territory would benefit from closer ties with the US, particularly on defence.
“Greenland, basically, their defence is two dogsleds,” he said. “In the meantime, you have Russian destroyers and submarines, and Chinese destroyers and submarines all over the place. We are not going to let that happen.”
The US has had a military presence in Greenland for decades and has recognised the strategic importance of the country since the start of the Second World War.
Between 1941 and 1945, the US operated around 10–12 major bases in Greenland, a number that rose significantly during the Cold War when 17 military establishments were built. Since the end of the Cold War, the US has reduced its presence to a single facility, Pituffik Space Base, located on the coast of Baffin Bay, 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The base is vital for missile warning, space surveillance, and ballistic missile defence. Pituffik’s high-latitude position allows early detection of missile launches from Russia, making it a key part of US and NATO strategic infrastructure.
Greenland’s strategic significance has grown in recent years because of the island’s location and natural resources, particularly as global competition intensifies in the Arctic.
Greenland sits between North America and Europe, straddling key air and sea routes across the North Atlantic. It lies close to the GIUK Gap (Greenland–Iceland–UK), a critical chokepoint for naval movement between the Arctic and the Atlantic Ocean. Control or monitoring of this area is central to tracking Russian submarine activity and protecting transatlantic supply lines in the event of conflict.
From a military perspective, Greenland already plays a role in Western defence.
Climate change has further increased Greenland’s importance. As Arctic ice melts, new shipping routes are gradually becoming viable, reducing travel time between Asia, Europe, and North America. This raises questions about security, freedom of navigation, and who sets the rules in the Arctic, especially as Russia and China expand their presence in the region.
Greenland is also significant for its natural resources. It is believed to hold large deposits of rare earth elements, as well as minerals such as uranium, iron ore, and zinc. Rare earths are essential for advanced electronics, renewable energy technologies, and military systems, and Western governments are increasingly concerned about reducing dependence on Chinese supply chains.
Politically, Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, placing it within NATO while giving it local control over many domestic matters. This combination makes Greenland strategically sensitive: any shift in influence could affect alliance cohesion, Arctic security arrangements, and transatlantic relations.
Taken together, Greenland’s geography, defence role, resource potential, and position in a rapidly changing Arctic make it one of the most strategically important territories in the world today.