Greenlandic, Danish foreign ministers go viral after lighting up post-meeting with Vance and Rubio

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland made headlines Wednesday not just for what they said inside the White House, but for what happened moments after they stepped outside.

After a high-stakes meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt emerged united in their opposition to President Donald Trump’s push for U.S. control of Greenland.

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What happened during the White House meeting?

Foreign Ministers Lars Rasmussen of Denmark and Vivian Motzfeldt of Greenland met privately for roughly 80 minutes with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The White House, State Department, and vice president’s office declined to comment immediately, and President Trump said he was awaiting a briefing, as per a report by the NYP.

Moments after leaving the building, Rasmussen, known for his chain smoking, jogged toward a nearby parking area, a cigarette already lit. He extended a cigarette and lighter to Motzfeldt, who appeared visibly tense. The image quickly circulated online, as per a report by the NYP.

Reactions in Greenland were mixed. Some residents said they related to Motzfeldt’s “vibe,” while others criticized the moment as undignified.

“Why didn’t they wait [until cameras were off?,]” one resident wrote on Facebook.

Another added, “Typical Danes, and typical Greenlanders to follow in their footsteps,


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Why are Denmark and Greenland pushing back so strongly?

At a joint press conference, Rasmussen said the meeting was an opportunity “to go up against the narrative, because it is not a true narrative that we have Chinese war ships all around the place.”

“According to our intelligence,” he said, “we haven’t had a Chinese warship in Greenland for a decade or so.”

Rasmussen also countered Trump’s repeated assertions that Denmark has failed to secure the region, stating that Danish authorities had already blocked a Chinese attempt to finance Greenlandic infrastructure, as per a report by the NYP.

“There’s clearly a disagreement. We agreed that it makes sense to try to sit down on a high level to explore whether there’s possibilities to accommodate the concerns of the president," Rasmussen said.

“It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland. We made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of the kingdom.”

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How did Donald Trump respond to the meeting?

Ahead of the talks, Trump reaffirmed that he would accept nothing less than full U.S. ownership of Greenland, again declining to rule out military action.

“The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable," as per a report by the NYP.

After the meeting, Trump mocked Denmark’s defense posture in remarks from the Oval Office.

“The problem is there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland, but there’s everything we can do — you found that out last week with Venezuela,” he said.

“I can’t rely on Denmark being able to fend themselves off. You know, they were talking about, they put an extra dog — and they were serious about this — they put an extra dog sled there last month, they added a second dog sled. That’s not going to do the trick.”

The White House followed up by posting a meme showing two dog sleds beneath Greenland’s flag, as per a report by the NYP.

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Is Denmark actually relying on dog sleds for defense?

Copenhagen announced in December a $1.5 billion investment to strengthen Greenland’s defenses, including two elite sled dog teams, two new patrol boats, and two long-range drones.

Rasmussen said Trump’s characterization was misleading.

“It’s absolutely not necessary” for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, he said, while acknowledging that “there’s also always a bit of truth” in Trump’s concerns.

“We have decided to form a high level working group to explore if we can find a common way forward," Rasmussen said.

“The Kingdom of Denmark has already set up our own contribution by committing additional funds for military capabilities, not dogsleds, but ships, drones, fighter jets, etc, and we are definitely ready to do more.”

He also emphasized that the U.S. already has significant access.

“The US has already a wide military access agreement under the 1951 defense agreement. The US can always ask for increasing its presence.”

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Where does Greenland stand?

Motzfeldt said Greenland was open to closer cooperation with the United States but rejected the idea of becoming part of it.

The meeting followed joint remarks by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who condemned Trump’s annexation rhetoric.

Frederiksen called Trump’s actions “completely unacceptable pressure” and warned that “there is much to suggest that the hardest part is still ahead of us.”

Nielsen was blunt about Greenland’s position. If forced to choose, “we choose Denmark,” he said.


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FAQs

Did Denmark and Greenland agree to U.S. annexation?
No. Both foreign ministers said U.S. ownership is not in the interest of the kingdom.

Is Greenland open to working with the U.S.?
Yes, Greenland signaled interest in cooperation but not becoming part of the United States.