Denmark Rejects U.S. Tone on Greenland Comments, Says Foreign Minister

 'This is not how you speak to your close allies' Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen says after Vance Greenland visit

Following Vance's Visit, Denmark Tells U.S.: Stop the Disrespect

"This is not how you speak to your close allies," declared Denmark’s top diplomat in a pointed rebuke to Washington.

Denmark’s foreign minister sharply criticized the United States for its dismissive treatment of his country, mere hours after Vice President JD Vance made an official stop at a U.S. military installation in Greenland.

In a brief but direct video message on Friday night, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen addressed Americans, urging a shift in Washington’s confrontational rhetoric.

"Many accusations and many allegations have been made. And of course, we are open to criticism," Rasmussen acknowledged. "But let me be completely honest: We do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered."

Diplomatic ties between Copenhagen and Washington have deteriorated significantly, largely due to President Donald Trump’s persistent assertions regarding the acquisition of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. Trump’s repeated suggestions—ranging from economic enticements to the possibility of military intervention—have caused considerable concern in both Denmark and Greenland, which have firmly rejected such overtures.

Trump has consistently left open the possibility of employing economic or military means to claim control over the vast Arctic island, which is roughly a four-hour flight from New York. His statements, oscillating between promises of financial prosperity for Greenlanders and more forceful proposals, have only deepened the rift.

Vice President Vance, who visited Greenland’s remote Pituffik Space Base on Friday, has previously accused Denmark of failing in its Arctic security responsibilities.

Reiterating those sentiments during his visit, Vance told Greenlanders they would be "better coming under the United States security umbrella than you have been under Denmark’s security umbrella," citing supposed rising threats from Russia and China.

By Friday night, Rasmussen’s patience had worn thin.

"This is not how you speak to your close allies," he reiterated, making it clear that despite the recent tensions, Denmark still considered the United States a key partner.

While acknowledging the U.S. assertion that it "needs a greater military presence in Greenland, as Vice President Vance mentioned this evening," Rasmussen indicated his willingness to engage in discussions on the matter.

Historically, the U.S. operated over a dozen military bases in Greenland, including a once-secret nuclear-powered subterranean facility. Today, Pituffik Space Base remains the last active U.S. outpost on the island.

"We — Denmark and Greenland — are very much open to discussing this with you, with an open mind," Rasmussen emphasized, pointing to the enduring military cooperation between Denmark and the United States, along with their mutual NATO commitments.

He also acknowledged that both nations had grown complacent regarding Arctic security but emphasized that circumstances were shifting.

"The fact is that we have all been harvesting the peace dividend," he stated. "We all acted on the assumption that the Arctic was and should be a low-tension area. But that time is over."