In January, Donald Trump had made threats against the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland, which he wanted to control, before shifting his focus elsewhere.
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/2026/05/12/6a02f7f1c29d2306671503.jpg "Negotiations on Greenland continue between Denmark and the United States, with progress but no agreement")
International news has almost overshadowed the tumultuous episode of American diplomacy under Donald Trump. However, discussions between the governments of Greenland, Denmark, and the United States continue regarding the autonomous Danish territory coveted by the American president. No agreement has been reached yet, declared the Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen on Tuesday, May 12th.
“It’s hard for me to go into details about the discussions within the working group, but we have made some progress in the right direction,” said Jens Frederik Nielsen during the Copenhagen Democracy Summit. “We are negotiating, but we don’t have an agreement,” added the official, who ensures that “we have been ready from the beginning to do more, to take on more responsibility in terms of national or international security. Our only requirement is respect.”
After the beginning of the year marked by the President’s desires to “take control” of the Arctic region, Copenhagen and Nuuk had an initial meeting with Washington followed by the establishment of a working group to discuss American concerns, particularly their military presence. A 1951 defense agreement, updated in 2004, gives almost free rein to American forces to deploy facilities in Greenland, provided they inform the authorities in advance.
