A bipartisan delegation of United States lawmakers arrived in Copenhagen on Friday in a rare show of transatlantic unity, seeking to reassure Denmark and Greenland after US President Donald Trump repeatedly suggested that Washington could take control of the Arctic island, even hinting at the possible use of force.
The two-day visit by 11 members of Congress comes at a sensitive moment for European security and Arctic geopolitics, as concerns grow in Denmark and Greenland over Trump’s renewed rhetoric about acquiring the mineral-rich territory. Greenland is an autonomous region within the Kingdom of Denmark and holds strategic importance due to its location between North America and Europe, as well as its vast reserves of rare earth minerals.
The delegation was scheduled to hold talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, focusing on reaffirming alliances and easing diplomatic tensions that have intensified in recent weeks.
Shortly after arriving in the Danish capital, the lawmakers met with business leaders at Dansk Industri, Denmark’s largest employers’ association, to discuss economic cooperation, investment ties and the potential fallout from escalating political uncertainty surrounding Greenland. Later in the day, they were due to meet members of the Danish parliament, where the Greenlandic flag was raised alongside the Danish flag in a symbolic gesture of unity.
“We are showing bipartisan solidarity with the people of this country and with Greenland,” Democratic Senator Dick Durbin told reporters in Copenhagen. “They’ve been our friends and allies for decades. We want them to know we appreciate that very much, and the statements being made by the president do not reflect what the American people feel.”
While an AFP reporter saw a large black van leaving Frederiksen’s office shortly before noon on Friday, the Danish prime minister’s office declined to confirm whether a formal meeting with the US delegation had already taken place, underscoring the diplomatic sensitivity of the visit.
The congressional trip follows a meeting in Washington earlier in the week, during which Danish representatives said Copenhagen and Washington were in “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland’s future. Danish officials have stressed that Greenland’s status is not open for negotiation and that any suggestion of a takeover violates international law and long-standing alliance norms.
In Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, the arrival of the US delegation was welcomed by many residents as a reassuring counterweight to Trump’s statements. “Congress would never approve a military action in Greenland. It’s just one idiot speaking,” said a 39-year-old union representative, who asked not to be named. “If he tried, he’d be impeached or kicked out. If people in Congress want to save their own democracy, they have to step up.”
Trump has argued that the United States “needs” Greenland for its national security and economic interests, citing its untapped mineral wealth and strategic position in the Arctic. He has repeatedly criticised Denmark, claiming it has failed to adequately secure the territory. Those arguments have been met with disbelief in Copenhagen, particularly as Greenland, through Denmark, already falls under NATO’s collective defence umbrella.
Military personnel were more visible on the streets of Nuuk on Friday, according to journalists on the ground, following Denmark’s announcement that it was strengthening its defence posture on the island. The show of force coincided with a broader European military reconnaissance and training mission in Greenland, aimed at reinforcing sovereignty and preparedness in the Arctic.
Despite the growing international pushback, the White House has doubled down on Trump’s stance. “I don’t think troops in Europe impact the president’s decision-making process, nor does it impact his goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in Washington.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen responded sharply, saying that any US acquisition of Greenland was “out of the question” and warning that such rhetoric risked damaging trust between allies.
European leaders have also sought to send a clear message. French armed forces minister Alice Rufo said the multinational troop deployment to Greenland was intended to signal to “everyone” — including the United States — that European countries are determined to defend their sovereignty. Britain, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have all announced the deployment of small contingents of military personnel to prepare for future Arctic exercises.
French President Emmanuel Macron said a first team of French service members was already on the ground and would be reinforced in the coming days with land, air and maritime assets.
Public opposition to Trump’s territorial ambitions is also growing. Large demonstrations are planned across Denmark and Greenland on Saturday, with protests expected in Nuuk and in Danish cities including Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense. Thousands of people have signalled on social media that they intend to participate, responding to calls from Greenlandic civic groups.
Alongside Durbin, the US delegation includes Democratic senators Chris Coons, Jeanne Shaheen and Peter Welch, as well as Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis. Democratic members of the House of Representatives on the trip are Madeleine Dean, Steny Hoyer, Sara Jacobs, Sarah McBride and Gregory Meeks.
For Denmark and Greenland, the visit is being closely watched as a test of whether US institutions can restrain presidential rhetoric that many in Europe see as destabilising — and as a reaffirmation that, despite political turbulence in Washington, long-standing alliances still matter.
