Denmark has new fears after Trump expressed his ambition for the “huge piece of ice”. “It's clear”
Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen arrives for a meeting with British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper in London, England, on January 19, 2026. PHOTO: Jack Taylor / AP / Profimedia
President Donald Trump's desire to obtain Greenland remains “intact”, despite the statements made by the American leader at the World Economic Forum in Davos, according to the head of Danish diplomacy, according to Reuters and AFP.
“What is clear from this speech is that the president's ambition remains intact,” Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters.
“Obviously it is positive, taken separately, that he says: 'we will not resort to military force'; we have to take that into account, but that does not make the problem go away”, underlined the Danish Foreign Minister.
“He (Donald Trump, no) said very clearly that “it is better to own it than to rent it” (the territory, no) and that Denmark is not able to ensure the protection of Greenland”, added Lars Lokke Rasmussen, quoted by Agerpres.
The US president promised in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday that he would not use force to annex Greenland, but insisted that he maintained his goal of the US buying this “piece of ice to protect the world” and called for the start of “immediate negotiations” to purchase the Arctic island.
Trump announces for the first time that he will not use force in Greenland, but “demands immediate negotiations to acquire this huge piece of ice”
“The world thought I was going to use force. I don't need to use force. I don't want to use force. I won't use force,” Trump said, referring to his threat to annex this self-governing territory that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO member state, but which he wants to place under US control.
At the same time, Trump claimed that the United States is the only “great power” that “is able to defend Greenland” and accused Denmark of “ungratefulness”. The White House leader also warned that he maintains his goal of the US buying the island rich in natural resources and strategically positioned, despite the opposition of Denmark's European allies.
He downplayed the issue of taking over Greenland, calling it “a small request” for the “huge piece of ice” and saying the acquisition would not pose a threat to the NATO alliance.
“No nation or group of nations is in a position to ensure the security of Greenland other than the United States,” Trump said, adding, “I am calling for immediate negotiations to re-discuss the United States' purchase of Greenland.”
“We do not negotiate human beings”
At the end of a parliamentary hearing alongside Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, Rasmussen reiterated that the autonomous territory of Greenland is not for sale.
“Human beings are not negotiable. It can be started between people, but we do not negotiate people,” emphasized the head of Danish diplomacy.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen also returned to what was decided at the meeting he attended, together with the head of Greenlandic diplomacy Vivian Motzfeldt, US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 14, in Washington.
“This agreement provides for high-level discussions to see if we can respond to American concerns without crossing our red lines,” the Danish foreign minister stressed.
