Denmark's foreign minister has said there is a fundamental disagreement with the US over Greenland after talks at the White House.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the meeting with Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday had been frank but constructive. But he added that US President Trump was insisting on conquering Greenland which was totally unacceptable.
We made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of [Denmark], he said.
Trump afterwards reiterated his interest in acquiring the resource-rich island, a position that has rattled allies across Europe and stoked tensions with NATO.
The hour-long meeting between the US, Denmark, and Greenland failed to bring a major breakthrough, although all sides agreed to set up a high-level working group to discuss the future of the autonomous Danish territory.
Rasmussen said there were red lines the US could not cross, and the working group would meet in the coming weeks in an effort to find a compromise. He added that Denmark and Greenland were open to the possibility of the US opening more military bases on the island.
Despite being the most sparsely populated territory, Greenland's location between North America and the Arctic makes it well-placed for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks, and for monitoring vessels in the region.
Trump has repeatedly said that Greenland is vital to US national security. The US already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base in Greenland's north-western tip - a facility that has been operated by the US since World War Two.
After the meeting, Denmark vowed to send armed forces to the island.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greenland Vivian Motzfeldt said the territory was open to greater co-operation with the US but also opposed a takeover.
Vance and Rubio did not immediately comment after the meeting. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: We need Greenland for national security.
As tensions simmered in Washington, allies in Europe moved quickly to show support for Greenland. Sweden on Wednesday pledged to send armed forces to Greenland at Denmark's request. France's foreign minister said the country planned to open a consulate on the island next month.
Trump's focus on Greenland comes on the heels of US attacks on Venezuela and ISIS in Syria in recent weeks. Public opinion polls reflect that a majority of Greenland residents oppose US control, as do most Americans.
