Congressional Delegation Stands Firm on Denmark-Greenland Ties as Trump Threatens Greenland Takeover

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers convened Friday to meet Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen, vowing congressional backing for the Nordic nations despite President Donald Trump’s threats to seize Greenland.

The 11-member delegation, led by Democrat Senator Chris Coons, was scheduled to address concerns raised after Trump declared Greenland vital to U.S. security due to its strategic location and mineral wealth, while refusing to rule out military force to take the island. European nations recently dispatched small military units to Greenland at Denmark’s request.

“At a time of increasing international instability, we need to draw closer to our allies, not drive them away,” Coons stated in a press release earlier this week.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democratic senator on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned that Trump’s rhetoric undermined NATO and aided Russia and China. “I know there are real, deep concerns here in Denmark and in Greenland. These concerns are understandable when trust is shaken. But I believe saner heads will prevail,” she said ahead of a speech in Copenhagen.

The delegation included Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski, though it was predominantly composed of Democratic lawmakers.

Following the congressional visit, the Greenlandic flag was displayed prominently at the Danish parliament building in Copenhagen. The meeting comes after a White House session on Wednesday where Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.

Despite efforts by Danish officials to alter U.S. policy, they reported no change in the administration’s stance regarding Greenland acquisition.

“We are ready for cooperation on security in the Arctic but it has to happen with respect for our territorial integrity, international law and the UN Charter,” Rasmussen stated on Instagram.

Trump first proposed acquiring Greenland during his 2019 campaign but faces significant opposition within his party and Congress. Lawmakers from both parties have supported legislation to limit Trump’s ability to seize the island amid ongoing congressional debates over war powers.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed only 17% of Americans approve of Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland, with large majorities of Democrats and Republicans opposing military force for annexation—a figure Trump dismissed as “fake.”