On 16/1, US media outlet Politico, citing three informed sources, reported that Danish officials, during a closed-door meeting on 14/1 at Capitol Hill, requested US lawmakers delay a vote on a resolution. This resolution aimed to prevent President Donald Trump from using force against Greenland without congressional authorization.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland's head of foreign affairs, Vivian Motzfeldt, attended the meeting alongside Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Angus King of Maine, and Ruben Gallego of Arizona. The meeting sought to assure Danish and Greenlandic officials of their support within the US congress.

Senator Gallego spearheaded the draft war powers resolution on Greenland. Its objective was to mandate congressional approval for any use of force against the Danish territory.

Danish officials argued that tabling the resolution without strong, overwhelming support from Republican lawmakers could weaken Copenhagen's stance and inadvertently bolster Mr. Trump's resolve to control Greenland.

Danish foreign minister Rasmussen (left) and Greenland's head of foreign affairs Motzfeldt at a 14/1 press conference in Washington. *Photo: AFP*

Following the meeting, Mr. Gallego stated that bringing the resolution to a vote was not a primary concern. "I will temporarily consider the resolution an option, should it become necessary", he told Politico, adding, "The resolution's content is prepared and available for use if needed".

The Danish embassy declined to comment on the 14/1 meeting. Mr. Rasmussen and Ms. Motzfeldt also met with Trump administration officials that same day, but the discussions failed to break the stalemate.

The US president had repeatedly asserted the necessity of controlling Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, even suggesting the potential use of force to achieve this. Subsequently, several European nations announced troop deployments to Greenland, aiming to bolster the island's security. However, the White House maintained that European forces in Greenland would not impact US plans to control the territory.

Greenland, the world's largest island, lies near North America, positioned between the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. With a population of 57,000 and an area of approximately 2,16 million square kilometers, it is larger than Mexico and more than three times the size of the US state of Texas.

The island occupies the shortest route between North America and Europe, making it a crucial strategic location for Washington. Greenland also possesses abundant, largely untapped mineral resources.

By Duc Trung (Politico, AP, Hill)