US delegation seeks to reassure Denmark and Greenland after Trump’s threats

A bipartisan US congressional delegation has sought to reassure Denmark and Greenland of their support following President Donald Trump’s threat to punish countries with tariffs if they do not back the US taking over the strategic Arctic island.

Delegation leader senator Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, said the current rhetoric around Greenland is causing concern across the Danish kingdom. He said he wants to de-escalate the situation.

“I hope that the people of the Kingdom of Denmark do not abandon their faith in the American people,” Mr Coons said in Copenhagen, adding that the US has respect for Denmark and Nato “for all we’ve done together”.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people marched through Copenhagen, many of them carrying Greenland’s flag, on Saturday afternoon in support of the self-governing island.

Others held signs with slogans such as “Make America Smart Again” and “Hands Off”. Another rally was planned in Nuuk, the Greenlandic capital.

Mr Coons’ comments contrasted with that emanating from the White House.

Mr Trump has sought to justify his calls for a US takeover by repeatedly claiming that China and Russia have their own designs on Greenland, which holds vast untapped reserves of critical minerals. The White House has not ruled out taking the territory by force.

“There are no current security threats to Greenland,” Mr Coons said.

Mr Trump for months has insisted that the US should control Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Nato ally Denmark, and said earlier this week that anything less than the Arctic island being in US hands would be “unacceptable”.

During an unrelated event at the White House about rural healthcare, he recounted on Friday how he had threatened European allies with tariffs on pharmaceuticals.

“I may do that for Greenland too,” Mr Trump said. “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that.”

He had not previously mentioned using tariffs to try to force the issue.

Earlier this week, the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met in Washington with US vice president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio.

That encounter did not resolve the deep differences, but did produce an agreement to set up a working group — on whose purpose Denmark and the White House then offered sharply diverging public views.

European leaders have insisted it is only for Denmark and Greenland to decide on matters concerning the territory, and Denmark said this week that it was increasing its military presence in Greenland in co-operation with allies.

“There is almost no better ally to the United States than Denmark,” Mr Coons said. “If we do things that cause Danes to question whether we can be counted on as a Nato ally, why would any other country seek to be our ally or believe in our representations?”