Interview: U.S. Greenland interest persists despite Danish resistance -- analyst

OSLO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The United States' interest in acquiring Greenland has remained a persistent and serious point of contention, undeterred by Denmark's forceful diplomatic and military pushback, a Danish analyst has said.

Rasmus Sinding Sondergaard, a senior researcher with the Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Department at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua.

Sondergaard observed that despite Copenhagen's clearer and firmer stance and increased Arctic investments, the underlying U.S. ambition on Greenland, championed by U.S. President Donald Trump, has not wavered.

"Trump reiterated his interest in getting control with Greenland ... it is equally concerning with the previous statements from him on this matter," he said, noting that this concern was amplified by the timing of his remarks -- coming so soon after recent U.S. military operations in Venezuela, feeding European apprehensions about unilateral U.S. actions.

Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in gaining control of Greenland. Last month, Trump announced the appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as the U.S. special envoy to Greenland, renewing diplomatic tension between Washington and the Danish Realm.

Notably, Denmark's response has evolved significantly, said the researcher. Initially marked by hesitation to avoid unnecessarily provoking the U.S. president, both the Danish and Greenlandic authorities have now adopted a firmer tone.

"The Danish government has become much more forceful in its rebuke of Donald Trump, very clearly stating what the Danish and Greenlandic position is," Sondergaard told Xinhua.

He noted that Denmark's pushback has unfolded on two key fronts: diplomacy and defense.

"Denmark has managed to gather quite a bit of support from its European allies," Sondergaard said, adding that on the other hand, a cornerstone of its defense posture has been referencing its pledged boost to Arctic defense spending, a strategy to demonstrate commitment and sovereignty.

However, "Has it been enough to satisfy Donald Trump? I think the answer is clearly no," he said.

Demark's delivery of financial commitments, which the researcher said are "quite significant," is also in its early stages.

"One thing is to proclaim that you want to invest. Another thing is to turn it into actual investments on the ground, and that has only just begun," he added.

Part of this investment package includes enhancing the Sirius Patrol, an elite Danish naval unit that conducts long-range reconnaissance in remote parts of Greenland using dog sleds. While symbolically important for Denmark's claim of operational presence, Sondergaard said, "It's something that Donald Trump has mocked, because seen from where he's sitting, a dog sled doesn't really make a difference."

Recent statements underscored the ongoing tension. "Our country isn't something you can deny or take over because you want to," Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a statement on Facebook last week.

"Very basic international principles are being challenged" by Washington's repeated threats, Nielsen said.

"If the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, including NATO and thus the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told U.S. lawmakers that Trump plans to buy Greenland rather than invade it and that he will meet with Danish officials this week over Greenland.

Sondergaard believes Denmark needs to maintain vigilance, as the initial hope that Trump's interest was a fleeting provocation has faded.

"We have certainly learned to take him seriously. Very much so," he said. ■