A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers is set to meet Danish and Greenlandic leaders on Friday to reassure them of continued congressional support, despite President Donald Trump’s remarks about potentially seizing Greenland.
Trump has repeatedly described Greenland as strategically vital to U.S. security because of its location and abundant mineral resources, and has not ruled out using force to acquire the island. In response, European nations have this week deployed small numbers of military personnel to Greenland at Denmark’s request.
The 11-member congressional delegation, led by Democratic Senator Chris Coons, will meet Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Frederiksen’s office confirmed.
“At a time of increasing international instability, we need to draw closer to our allies, not drive them away,” Coons said in a press release earlier this week.
New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed concern over the recent rhetoric. “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.
Shaheen added: “And I believe that because institutions are already acting. On both sides of the aisle in Congress, there is overwhelming support for NATO and for the U.S.-Danish relationship.”
Although largely composed of Democratic lawmakers, the delegation also includes Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski. To mark the occasion, the Greenlandic flag was flown at the main staircase of the Danish parliament building, Christiansborg, in central Copenhagen.
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The congressional visit follows a high-level meeting at the White House on Wednesday, where Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt met Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance. Danish officials said the talks did not change the U.S. administration’s position on acquiring Greenland.
Rasmussen, speaking on Instagram Thursday, emphasised: “(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.”
Trump first suggested acquiring Greenland in 2019 during his first term, but his plan faces bipartisan opposition in Washington. Lawmakers from both parties have pledged support for legislation to limit the president’s authority to seize the island, amid debates over congressional war powers. A separate House bill supporting annexation has also been introduced.
Public opinion appears largely opposed to Trump’s proposal. Only 17 per cent of Americans approve of efforts to acquire Greenland, and large majorities across both parties reject the use of military force, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Trump has dismissed the poll as “fake.”
