U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen on the sidelines of a NATO gathering in Brussels, as U.S. President Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants to take Greenland.
The planned connection was initially reported by the U.K. newspaper Financial Times, citing two unnamed officials. It would be the first high-level U.S.-Denmark meeting in person since the new Trump administration took office in January.
The Danish foreign ministry confirmed to Newsweek that the meeting will take place in Brussels when NATO foreign ministers meet this week. But they said Greenland would not be on the agenda.
"It is expected that both the situation in Ukraine and the security of Europe will be on the agenda, topics which are also anticipated to be discussed at the NATO meeting itself. Neither Greenland nor the Arctic are planned to be discussed," the ministry said.
Why it Matters
Greenland is a self-governing Danish territory, rich in natural resources, including highly-prized rare earth minerals. The large island sits northeast of Canada, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. It is a strategic buffer between the U.S. and Russia.
Trump's forceful rhetoric on Greenland prompted sharp rebukes from both the island's leadership and the Danish government, a NATO ally of the U.S. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen accused Washington of exerting "unacceptable pressure."
What To Know
There is a strong movement in Greenland for independence from Denmark, but little appetite to join the U.S. as a state. Greenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen issued a defiant message to Trump after the island's recent elections.
Trump was asked by NBC News if he would authorize the use of military force to take control of Greenland. "I don't take anything off the table," the president replied, adding that there is a "good possibility that we could do it without military force."
Vice President JD Vance visited a U.S. military base in Greenland last week with his wife, Usha, U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
The trip was scaled back from initial plans to visit a dog-sled race after criticism from Greenland and Denmark. Vance criticized Denmark for its handling of Greenland, saying it had "not done a good job."
What People Are Saying
Greenland's Prime Minister Nielsen wrote in a Facebook post: "We must listen when others talk about us. But we must not be shaken. President Donald Trump says the United States is 'getting Greenland'.
"Let me make this clear: The U.S. is not getting that. We don't belong to anyone else. We decide our own future. We must not act out of fear. We must respond with peace, dignity and unity.
"And it is through these values that we must clearly, clearly and calmly show the American president that Greenland is ours. It was like that yesterday. That's how it is today. And that's how it will be in the future."
Vice President Vance said in Greenland: "Denmark has not kept pace in devoting the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view to keep the people of Greenland safe from a lot of aggressive incursions from Russia, from China, and from other nations."
Vance also addressed the question of why Greenland matters so much to American interests: "We know that Russia and China and other nations are taking an extraordinary interest in Arctic passageways, Arctic naval routes, and in the minerals of the Arctic territories. We need to ensure America is leading in the Arctic."
What Happens Next
Rubio and Rasmussen are set to meet in Brussels—but the Danish foreign ministry said Greenland will not be under discussion. Instead, "Ukraine and the security of Europe will be on the agenda" when they meet.
Update, 4/1/25, 10:50 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a statement from the Danish foreign ministry.
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About the writer
Shane Croucher is a Breaking News Editor based in London, UK. He has previously overseen the My Turn, Fact Check ... Read more