**Greenland Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio Meet Danish and Greenlandic Foreign Ministers Amid U.S. Interest in Greenland**
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers at the White House on Wednesday, following Greenland’s prime minister’s statement that his nation prefers to remain part of Denmark.
A top Danish official confirmed there remains a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland between Denmark and the United States after the highly anticipated talks. Despite differing views, both sides agreed to establish a working group to explore possible solutions and address their differences as President Donald Trump continues advocating for a U.S. takeover of Greenland, the semiautonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO ally.
President Trump did not participate in Wednesday’s meeting but spoke to reporters in the Oval Office afterward, reiterating his interest in acquiring the territory. “We need Greenland for national security,” Trump said. He added, “We’ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out.”
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen emphasized the importance of dialogue. “It is in everybody’s interest even though we disagree that we agree to try to explore whether it is doable to accommodate some of the concerns while at the same time respecting the integrity of the Danish kingdom’s territory and the self-determination of the Greenlandic people,” he stated.
### Background on Greenland
Greenland, the world’s largest island, is about 80% covered by ice. The Inuit people migrated to Greenland from North America in several waves spanning from 2500 B.C. to the 11th century. Vikings arrived in the 10th century from Iceland, and Danish colonization began in the 18th century. Greenland officially became part of the Kingdom of Denmark in 1953. Later, it joined the European Community.
### Greenland’s Flag
The flag of Greenland features a large disk set slightly to the left; the top half of the disk is red, and the bottom half is white. This design symbolizes the sun reflecting off a field of ice. The colors mirror those of the Danish flag, highlighting Greenland’s historic and political ties to the Kingdom of Denmark.
For reference, the Danish flag is red with a white Nordic cross. The cross extends to the edges of the flag, with the vertical part shifted toward the hoist side.
—
**Sources:** AFP News Service, The Associated Press, Reuters, CIA Factbook, NASA
https://www.dailynews.com/2026/01/16/here-are-a-few-things-you-may-not-know-about-greenland/
