Past few days have been 'tough,' says Greenland's top diplomat after White House meeting

LONDON

The Greenlandic foreign minister has said the last few days have been "tough" for Greenland, as they prepared "for everything" for the White House meeting held on Wednesday with US officials.

In an interview with the public broadcaster KNR, Vivian Motzfeldt said that they have coordinated the preparation with Denmark ahead of the White House talk.

"The past few days have been tough. We have prepared ourselves, and the pressure has steadily increased," she said.

Her remarks came after meeting with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, amid Trump's interest in acquiring the autonomous Danish territory.

She stressed that they were prepared "for everything" for the meeting, noting that they had "clearly stated" Greenland's position and also expressed their willingness to cooperate.

"We hope to reach an agreement that we can all live together," said Motzfeldt.

During a press conference following the White House talk on Wednesday, Rasmussen said ideas that would not respect the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of self-determination of the Greenlandic people are, "of course, totally unacceptable."

The Danish foreign minister also expressed that a "fundamental disagreement" remains after "frank" talks with US officials about Greenland.

"We didn't manage to change American position. It's clear that the (US) president (Donald Trump) has this wish of conquering over Greenland."

Speaking after the meeting, Trump reiterated that the US needs Greenland "for national security," and added that "there's not a thing" Denmark could do to stop China or Russia if they invaded the island.

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.