Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said a constructive meeting took place with high-ranking U.S. officials to resolve the dispute over Greenland and that further meetings are planned.

Mr Rasmussen, however, told Danish media on Thursday that the situation has not been resolved.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Denmark, Greenland, and the U.S. launched a process aimed at reaching an agreement in the standoff over the Arctic territory.

He was optimistic after the talks, telling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: “I think we are going to get there.”

President Donald Trump made an aggressive push at the start of the year for the U.S. to take control of Greenland.

Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory belonging to Denmark, raising the extraordinary prospect of the U.S. attacking a NATO ally to acquire territory.

Greenland, Denmark, and their European allies strongly opposed Mr Trump’s takeover ambitions.

On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Trump then backed down, saying he was no longer seeking a military solution to the Greenland crisis.

Mr Trump also said in Davos that a “framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland” had been reached during a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte. 

(dpa/NAN)