Greenland, Denmark to Put Up United Front at the White House

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Luke Vargas (0:23)

A big day for Greenland Diplomacy as officials from the island and Denmark arrive in Washington. Plus, the US unveils its governance plans for Gaza and one actor's novel approach to tackling AI fakes.

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Matthew McConaughey's lawyers are betting that if there's a trademark that covers anything that looks or sounds like Matthew McConaughey, then they can put a stop to it.

Luke Vargas (0:44)

It's Wednesday, January 14th. I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal and here is the AM Edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today. The leader of Greenland says the island would choose to remain a Danish territory instead of joining the US ahead of meetings at the White House today. Those remarks come as officials from Greenland and Denmark seek to portray unity in the face of President Trump's push to seize the semi-autonomous territory that's three times the size of Texas. So what response will they get in Washington today? Journal Correspondent Max Colchester has been tracking events for us. Max, what is the negotiating position coming into today from Greenlandic and Danish officials? Are they giving any ground?

Max Colchester (1:30)

Well, it seems that they've taken quite a clear stance. Previously, Greenland has really just stated that it wants to move towards independence and that it wants to choose its own fate and that it's not for sale. Now it's saying actually it wants to maintain the status quo. It wants to be part of Denmark as opposed to siding with the US. So it sounds like they're sort of taking a firm line. And this is really, I think, to reinforce the position that the Greenlandic government have had all along, which is that they're not for sale and they're not some sort of bargaining chip in a great big geopolitical fight.

Luke Vargas (2:02)

You were just in Greenland. Polls there show that most Greenlanders are opposed to becoming part of the US. But there are politicians you report on the island who are pushing dialogue with the US. And I would imagine those are voices that the White House may be hoping to amplify today.

Max Colchester (2:16)

Yes, there is a division of opinion and it's essentially this. Most Greenlanders do not want to become part of the US. But a sizable chunk of them do see the US as a way to gain independence from Denmark. So the argument goes that if Greenland voted for independence, it could partner with the US and offer the US favorable access to minerals, to military installations, and in return receive a sort of block payment from the US. And that would ease its transition from being controlled by Denmark to being an independent state. Now, the thing is, there's been a bit of a mood shift. When I was there, I've been in Nuuk this last week, and I was in Nuuk a year ago. And back then, the vibe was very much that this was an exciting moment for Greenland. This was closer ties with the US could herald new investment, could accelerate independence.

Now, when I went back, the feeling was very much one of fear and uncertainty. People really are starting to get a bit worried that this is spinning out of control. Trump has reiterated threats to use some sort of military force to coerce the Greenlandic people and the Danes to hand the island over. And so people now are feeling, I think, a lot less positive about this. And so I think the White House will have a battle on its hands to win over the hearts and minds of the Greenlanders.

Luke Vargas (3:37)

You know, that puts even more at stake, right? In these meetings at the White House today, sort of what the rhetoric is from American officials. And we should note that President Trump isn't scheduled to be at this meeting, which had been set to be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which Vice President JD Vance is now leading.

Max Colchester (3:55)

Yes. And I think that throws a wild card into the mix. Rubio has always been slightly more measured in his statements about Greenland. He earlier this month made it very clear that the US wasn't going to use military force and that it was looking to buy the island. JD Vance has been more outspoken and has really repeated many of the arguments that Trump has put forward, which is that, you know, unless America moves with decisive action to take control of Greenland, the island could fall into the laps of the Chinese or the Russians and the US would have an enemy on its doorstep. But I think from the Greenlandic and the Danish perspective, and remember, it's the Greenlandic people and the Danish government that called for this meeting. They really want to just reset talks and take the heat out of the situation. They want to go there and say, look, let's have a proper discussion as opposed to having an argument over social media. And so I think that's what they're trying to achieve. They're trying to normalize the diplomatic back and forth so that the more inflammatory comments that have been coming out of the White House stop.