COPENHAGEN

Denmark expressed its reservations over the timing of the informal US delegation visit to Greenland, calling it "problematic" and "disrespectful," according to state news media outlet DR on Monday.

"These are not random tourists," Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said, suggesting that recent US diplomatic overtures to Greenland are strategic rather than coincidental.

Speaking after discussions with NATO and European leaders, he emphasized that Denmark will resist any attempts by the US to influence Greenland’s political alignment, especially following the recent Greenlandic election.

Rasmussen has warned against US efforts to woo Greenland away from Denmark, calling it a poorly timed charm offensive with no support in Greenland or the Danish Realm.

“We are a strong NATO ally of the United States, but we cannot have a situation where one large ally challenges the sovereignty of another,” he stated.

Denmark has already raised concerns at the European Council and NATO, where Rasmussen stressed that Greenland, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands remain united as part of the Danish Realm. He noted that NATO allies have expressed strong support for Danish sovereignty over Greenland.

"When I was at a meeting with my foreign minister colleagues last Monday, I also had the opportunity to informally give them a status on this case. And also to call for the need for their support, if we were to experience the American side try to charm the Greenlanders to turn their backs on the Danish Realm," Lokke said.

The US delegation landing in Greenland this week includes US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Second Lady Usha Vance.

Waltz and Wright will visit the military base Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as the Thule base. All three of them reportedly will attend Greenland's national dog sled race, which is also supported by the American consulate in Nuuk.

Greenland’s outgoing Prime Minister Mute B. Egede described the visit as “very aggressive American pressure” in an interview with the Sermitsiaq newspaper on Sunday.

Greenland issue

Greenland, covering over 2 million square kilometers (800,000 square miles), holds vast reserves of rare earth minerals essential for high-tech industries, including nickel, cobalt, and copper, along with significant oil and gas potential.

Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly rejected US proposals to purchase the island, with Copenhagen asserting its continued sovereignty. A January survey found that 85% of Greenland’s population opposes joining the US, despite Trump’s claims that Greenlanders would welcome American rule.

Tensions escalated after Trump refused to rule out economic or military measures to secure Greenland, claiming it was crucial for “the protection of the free world.”

“We need Greenland for national security and even international security,” Trump said during his address to a joint session of Congress. “We’re working with everybody involved to try and get it, but we need it really for international world security, and I think we’re going to get it one way or the other; we’re going to get it.”

He also extended his support for the people of Greenland, saying: “We strongly support your right to determine your future, and if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded by rallying European leaders, making it clear that the semi-autonomous island is “not for sale.”

EU position

While Greenland is not an EU member, it maintains special ties with the 27-member bloc. The European Commission confirmed that, in case of military aggression, the EU’s mutual defense clause would apply.

The commission’s spokesperson on the US delegation’s visit maintained that the EU stands fully in support of the Kingdom of Denmark.

"We will continue to uphold the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity and will not waver in defending them, particularly when the integrity of an EU member state is questioned," said the spokesperson.