Denmark says Greenland talks with US could conclude with deal by end of 2026

Ongoing talks between Denmark, Greenland and the United States could result in an agreement before the end of 2026, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Tuesday.

Speaking to Danish daily Politiken, Lokke said several more rounds of talks would be needed before a final agreement could be reached, but expressed confidence in the process.

Asked whether US President Donald Trump would support a final agreement, Lokke said the diplomats involved in the talks were closely connected to the administration.

"These are people very close, and I have to assume that they are acting on a mandate that can also be delivered on," he said.

He added that senior members of the US administration were being kept informed of developments by the diplomats involved in the talks.

The trilateral forum was established following a visit to Washington in January by Lokke and Greenland's then-foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, during which they met US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The group's work has largely remained out of public view despite international attention generated by Trump's repeated remarks about the US taking control of Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

The statements strained relations between Washington and both Copenhagen and Nuuk, prompting the creation of the working group to address security and cooperation issues in the Arctic.