LONDON

The prime minister of Denmark on Thursday said the White House meeting on Greenland with US officials "was not easy," confirming "fundamental disagreement" due to Washington's continued ambition to take over the autonomous Danish territory.

In a statement, Mette Frederiksen said she received a briefing about Wednesday's meeting between Greenland, Denmark, and the US at the White House on Greenland amid continued US interest in acquiring the Arctic territory.

Frederiksen said the meeting "was not easy," confirming the "fundamental disagreement" between the US and Denmark, according to public broadcaster TV 2.

The two countries agreed to form a working group on the issue, she said, but underlined that this does not change the fact that there is a fundamental disagreement, as the American ambition to take over Greenland is ongoing.

Her remarks came after a meeting between US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, and Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt.

"It is obviously serious, and therefore we are continuing our efforts to prevent that scenario from becoming a reality," said Frederiksen.

She also noted that there is an agreement in NATO to strengthen the presence in the Arctic, adding that Denmark has invested significantly in new Arctic capabilities.

"The defense and protection of Greenland is a common concern for the entire NATO alliance," she said, adding that a number of allies are currently contributing to joint exercise activities in and around Greenland.

So far, Germany, Sweden, France, and Norway have confirmed they are sending military personnel to Greenland this week.

According to the report, Kuno Fencker, a member of the Greenlandic parliament, does not think the meeting with US officials achieved anything other than delaying the process for the Americans.

Following the White House meeting, US President Donald Trump said he "can't rely on Denmark being able to fend themselves off," and added: "They were talking about it, they put an extra dog sled there. Last month, they entered a second dog sled that's not going to do the trick."

Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has attracted US interest due to its strategic location and vast mineral resources, as well as alleged concerns about rising Russian and Chinese activity.

Denmark and Greenland have rejected proposals to sell the territory, reaffirming Danish sovereignty over the island.