The US delegation is seeking to ease tensions between the US, Denmark and Greenland as President Trump threatens tariffs and claims of control.
Published January 16, 2026
US President Donald Trump has said he may impose tariffs on countries that do not support the US’ claim to control Greenland, and the message came as a bipartisan congressional delegation sought to de-escalate tensions in the Danish capital.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly asserted that the United States controls Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and earlier this week said it was “unacceptable” that the Arctic island was anything other than in American hands.
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Speaking Friday at a White House event unrelated to rural health care, he told how he threatened European allies with drug tariffs.
President Trump said, “Maybe we’ll do it for Greenland.” “We might impose tariffs if countries don’t agree with Greenland because we need Greenland for national security. So we might do that,” he said.
President Trump said Greenland is critical to U.S. security because of its strategic location and large supply of minerals, and did not rule out the possibility of using force to take it.
He has not previously mentioned using tariffs to enforce the issue.
Earlier this week, the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington.
The talks did not resolve major differences, but agreed to establish a working group. Denmark and the White House were then deeply divided over its objectives.
European leaders maintain that only Denmark and Greenland can decide on territorial issues, and Denmark said this week it was working with allies to strengthen its military presence in Greenland.
A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers met with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland in Copenhagen on Friday to “lower the temperature” by pledging support from Congress to recognize Greenland as an ally rather than property after President Trump threatened to seize the Arctic island.
European countries sent small numbers of military personnel to the island this week at Denmark’s request.
An 11-member U.S. delegation led by Democratic Sen. Chris Coons met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen, as well as members of parliament from Denmark and Greenland.
“There’s a lot of rhetoric in the current discussion in Washington, but there’s not a lot of reality,” Coons told reporters after the meeting, adding that politicians would try to “lower the temperature” upon their return.
looking for a deal
President Trump’s special envoy to Greenland also said on Friday that he was planning to visit the Danish territory in March and believed a deal was possible.
“There should be a deal and I believe it will be done once this is over,” Jeff Landry said in an interview Friday on Fox News, as the U.S. delegation met with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland.
“The president is serious. I think he has set a goal. He has told Denmark what he wants. Now it’s just a matter of getting Secretary (Marco) Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance to an agreement.”
