TECHNICAL discussions between the United States, Denmark, and Greenland over a potential Arctic security agreement have formally commenced, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday.
AP reported on Thursday that the initiative follows a meeting earlier this month in Washington between Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers and U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Rubio.
At the gathering, both sides agreed to create a working group to reconcile differences over Arctic security arrangements and to address past tensions, particularly those arising from former President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for the U.S. to take over Greenland — a move firmly rejected by Denmark, Greenland, and European allies.
“It begins today and it will be a regular process,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, describing the working group’s objective. “We’re going to try to do it in a way that isn’t like a media circus every time these conversations happen, because we think that creates more flexibility on both sides to arrive at a positive outcome.”
According to the Danish Foreign Ministry, Wednesday’s discussions focused on balancing U.S. security concerns in the Arctic while respecting the “red lines of the Kingdom,” a reference to Greenland’s sovereignty.
Trump’s past threats to annex the mineral-rich, semi-autonomous territory of a NATO ally had previously rattled U.S.-European relations.
Last month, he announced potential tariffs on Denmark and other European nations opposing his takeover proposals, only to retract them after a preliminary “framework” deal was reached with the involvement of NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Few details of the arrangement have been disclosed.
During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump also removed the possibility of using U.S. military force to acquire Greenland, and Wall Street reacted positively after his softened rhetoric alleviated fears of a trade war and a disruption to NATO.
Rubio downplayed lingering tensions, stating, “We’ve got a little bit of work to do, but I think we’re going to wind up in a good place, and I think you’ll hear the same from our colleagues in Europe very shortly.”
During the Senate hearing, Rubio addressed a lighter note concerning Trump’s recent verbal slip, in which he mistakenly referred to Greenland as Iceland at Davos. Rubio said, “Yeah, he meant to say Greenland, but I think we’re all familiar with presidents that have verbal stumbles. We’ve had presidents like that before. Some made a lot more than this one.”
The establishment of the working group signals a shift from Trump-era rhetoric to a more measured and cooperative approach in managing Arctic security, reflecting shared interests in countering potential threats from Russia and China while maintaining the sovereignty of Greenland and the broader stability of NATO alliances. - January 29, 2026
