A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers on Friday met with leaders of Denmark and Greenland to reaffirm congressional support for the longtime allies, amid renewed controversy over President Donald Trump’s statements suggesting the United States could seek to take control of Greenland.
The 11-member delegation, led by Democratic Senator Chris Coons, held talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen. The visit was aimed at easing tensions sparked by Trump’s recent remarks describing Greenland as vital to U.S. national security because of its strategic Arctic location and vast mineral resources.
Trump has not ruled out the use of force to acquire the semi-autonomous Danish territory, comments that have unsettled European allies and prompted Denmark to request additional military support. In response, several European countries this week deployed small numbers of troops to Greenland.
“At a time of increasing international instability, we need to draw closer to our allies, not drive them away,” Coons said in a statement ahead of the visit.
Despite congressional efforts to calm the situation, rhetoric from the Trump administration has continued. Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, said in a Friday interview with Fox News that he believed an agreement could eventually be reached.
“I do believe that there’s a deal that should and will be made once this plays out,” Landry said, adding that the president was serious about his intentions and had clearly communicated his expectations to Denmark.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned that talk of a U.S. takeover undermines NATO unity and benefits geopolitical rivals such as Russia and China.
“I know there are real, deep concerns here in Denmark and in Greenland,” Shaheen said in remarks prepared for a speech in Copenhagen. “These concerns are understandable when trust is shaken. But I believe saner heads will prevail.”
Shaheen emphasized that support for NATO and the U.S.-Danish relationship remains strong across party lines in Congress. She also noted her personal connection to Greenland, recalling that her father served there during World War II.
The delegation included Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski, alongside several Democratic lawmakers, underscoring bipartisan unease with the administration’s stance.
Symbolically marking the visit, the Greenlandic flag was flown at the Danish parliament building, Christiansborg, in central Copenhagen. Demonstrations in support of Greenland were scheduled for Saturday in Danish cities and in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital.
The congressional trip followed a tense White House meeting earlier in the week between Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance. Danish officials later said they were unable to shift the U.S. administration’s position on Greenland.
Rasmussen and Motzfeldt have also been lobbying lawmakers in Washington in an effort to resolve what Denmark has described as an unprecedented diplomatic crisis with a fellow NATO member.
“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,” Rasmussen said in a social media post.
Meanwhile, lawmakers from both major U.S. parties have signaled support for legislation that would limit the president’s ability to seize Greenland without congressional approval, citing constitutional provisions that grant war powers to Congress. A separate House bill backing annexation has also been introduced, highlighting divisions within Washington.
Public opinion appears firmly against the idea. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 17% of Americans support Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland, while majorities of both Democrats and Republicans oppose using military force to do so. Trump has dismissed the poll as “fake.”
Trump first raised the prospect of acquiring Greenland during his first term in 2019, a proposal that was then swiftly rejected by Denmark. The issue has now resurfaced as a flashpoint in U.S.-European relations, even as Congress moves to signal that America’s alliances remain intact.
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