Rubio to Meet Danish Officials as Trump Presses Greenland Acquisition for U.S. Security

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with Danish officials next week amid renewed insistence from President Donald Trump that the United States must acquire Greenland to protect American national security interests in the Arctic.

Rubio confirmed Wednesday that discussions with Danish leaders would include Greenland, while Denmark’s defense minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, welcomed the talks as an opportunity to move the debate out of the media spotlight and into direct diplomatic channels.

President Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland’s strategic location and mineral resources make it vital to counter growing Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security,” Trump said Sunday, reiterating a position he has maintained since his first term in office.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is evaluating “a range of options” to pursue the goal, including military options, though she emphasized that diplomacy remains the administration’s preferred path.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pushed back sharply, warning that any U.S. military action against Greenland would effectively end the NATO alliance. “If the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, everything stops,” she said.

According to officials familiar with closed-door discussions, Rubio told U.S. lawmakers during a classified Capitol Hill briefing that the administration’s long-term objective is to purchase Greenland rather than seize it by force. He later told reporters that Trump is not the first U.S. president to consider acquiring the territory, calling the idea a long-standing strategic interest.

Greenland’s government and Denmark’s foreign ministry had previously requested meetings with Rubio that went unanswered, but the upcoming talks signal a shift toward formal engagement. Greenland’s foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen have both stressed that the island’s future must be decided by its people.

European leaders, including those from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, issued a joint statement backing Denmark and reaffirming that Greenland “belongs to its people.” Analysts warn that aggressive rhetoric risks undermining NATO unity at a time of heightened global instability.

Despite concerns, some Republican senators acknowledged Greenland’s strategic value, though many stopped short of endorsing military action. Others, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski, said the language surrounding acquisition by force is deeply unsettling.

The United States already maintains a military presence at Greenland’s Pituffik Space Base, a key installation for missile warning and Arctic operations. Denmark has also approved expanded U.S. base access on Danish soil, though officials say those agreements could be reconsidered if annexation were attempted.

Reports indicate the Trump administration has discussed offering direct payments to Greenland residents as part of a potential deal, with figures ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per person. Greenland’s leadership has firmly rejected the idea. Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the island is “not for sale” and warned Washington against pressure or coercion.

As Rubio prepares for talks with Denmark, the dispute underscores growing tensions between strategic ambition and alliance commitments, with Greenland emerging as a flashpoint in the struggle for influence across the Arctic.

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