Melike Pala
09 April 2026•Update: 09 April 2026
Denmark’s Acting Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Thursday that it is “obvious” that US President Donald Trump has not abandoned his ambitions for Greenland, after his social media post that said Greenland is a “big, poorly managed piece of ice,” and he criticized NATO.
Rasmussen told Danish broadcaster DR that he would not escalate tensions by responding to the comments.
“I have no interest in escalating a conflict by expressing my honest opinion about the way those words are used,” said Rasmussen, adding that it remains clear Trump continues to pursue “his visions for Greenland.”
“It is our job to ensure that they are not realized,” he said.
Rasmussen noted that a working group established after his recent visit to Washington, alongside Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, is continuing its work and “making progress,” emphasizing that the US remains “a close ally.”
Trump has repeatedly raised the idea of US control over Greenland in recent months, citing national security concerns related to Russia and China. At one point, he warned of possible sanctions against European countries opposing the proposal.
Those threats were later softened, however, following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during the World Economic Forum in January, where Trump said both sides outlined a framework for potential cooperation on Greenland and the broader Arctic region.
The development paved the way for continued discussions involving the US, Denmark and Greenland.