Greenland-US situation is ‘not solved’, Danish foreign minister says

Should tensions escalate, Denmark’s Council presidency is likely to pull both Copenhagen, and the EU deeper into the fray.

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News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Greenlandic flag. (Photo by Steffen Trumpf/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Magnus Lund Nielsen and Thomas Moller-Nielsen Euractiv Jul 5, 2025 12:59 2 min. read
News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Greenland’s small population could leave it vulnerable to outside influence, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said as Denmark took over the EU Council presidency.

“We do not consider a military annexation as anything which likely could happen," Løkke Rasmussen told reporters in Aarhus on Friday, downplaying Trump's repeated threats of using force to seize the island.

Still, he said the situation is “not solved,” warning that Greenlandic society could be fragile in the face of US manipulation. The island may be a “big, big territory,” he said, but it’s home to only 55,000 people.

Addressing concerns about Washington's sway, he clarified: "I'm not talking about the government," but rather the wave of US investors and influencers who have been roaming the streets of Nuuk, the capital.

Løkke Rasmussen is set to travel to Washington with Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen on Saturday to meet with American decision-makers, the defence industry, and opinion leaders to send a "strong signal."

Since Trump's first threats in January, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has toured EU capitals to garner European support for the Danish realm.

Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Greenland, and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is scheduled to follow in September. "I am informed that many other European leaders are ready to visit Greenland," Løkke said.

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