Greenland and Denmark’s foreign ministers are set to hold talks with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House on Wednesday, amid President Donald Trump‘s ongoing push to take over the self-governed Danish territory.
The high-stakes meeting with Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and her Danish counterpart, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, comes a day after Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said that the Arctic island chooses Denmark over the U.S.
In a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Nielsen said: “We are now facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark.”
Why Does Trump Want Greenland So Badly?
Trump has revived his long-standing push to bring Greenland under U.S. control, reigniting interest in the mineral-rich Arctic territory in the aftermath of a bold U.S. military operation in Venezuela on Jan. 3.
Trump has insisted that he will seize Greenland “one way or another,” even if it strains the relationship within the NATO military alliance. Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) introduced a bill Monday that would ultimately admit it as the nation’s 51st state.
The Arctic island sits between North America and Europe, hosting the U.S. missile-warning base at Pituffik, and its thawing ice cap is unlocking rare earths, uranium, oil, and gas. Trump argues control boosts U.S. security and preempts rivals such as Russia and China.
Though a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been under Danish control for roughly 300 years, formally becoming part of the Kingdom of Denmark in 1953. While Greenlanders gained home rule in 1979, Denmark still oversees foreign affairs and defense.
Most Greenlanders live on the south-western coast around the capital, Nuuk, as nearly 80% of Greenland is covered by ice. According to polls, an overwhelming majority of Greenlanders reject the idea of becoming part of the U.S.
What Prediction Markets Are Saying
On the prediction market platform Kalshi, “Will the US take control of any part of Greenland?” is trending, with about $1.1 million in trading volumes.
Kalshi’s market currently implies roughly a 41.9% chance that the U.S. will take control of a portion of Greenland before Jan. 21, 2029. That has dropped from the 45.1% chance implied on Monday, the highest in nearly a year.
However, markets remain skeptical of a near‑term outcome; implied odds of Greenland changing hands before 2027 or this year are much lower, with alternative platforms like Polymarket showing single‑digit to teens percentages for immediate acquisition.
Image via Shutterstock
Recent Comments