COPENHAGEN – Government leaders from Nordic countries are gathering in Denmark today to consider granting Greenland equal standing in their regional partnership, a direct response to President Donald Trump’s demands for U.S. control over the Arctic territory.
The meeting comes after Denmark and its European partners firmly rejected Trump’s calls for the Nordic nation to transfer Greenland to American control. Diplomatic discussions between Copenhagen, Nuuk, and Washington began last month in an effort to ease tensions over the dispute.
Today’s discussions will center on revising the Helsinki Treaty, originally signed in 1962 by Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway. The proposed changes would grant complete membership rights to Denmark’s autonomous territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, along with Finland’s Aland region.
These self-governing areas have spent decades pushing for equal representation in Nordic forums but were previously excluded from discussions on security issues and topics like the conflict in Ukraine. Greenland’s leadership boycotted the partnership format in 2024 due to this exclusion.
“An update of the Helsinki Treaty will be a historic step and a future-proofing of Nordic co-operation,” stated Morten Dahlin, Denmark’s minister for Nordic cooperation.
Greenland plans to take an active role in establishing a commission to revise the agreement, according to the island’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt. “The process surrounding the Helsinki Treaty will be decisive in determining whether Greenland can be recognised as an equal partner in Nordic cooperation,” Motzfeldt explained.
Polling data shows that most of Greenland’s 57,000 residents aspire to eventual independence from Denmark, though many caution against moving too quickly due to their economic dependence on Copenhagen and concerns about increased U.S. influence.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated earlier this month that if residents were compelled to pick between the United States and Denmark, they would side with Denmark.
