'This is not how you talk': Danish minister hits back at JD Vance's comments

Copenhagen, Denmark: Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has pushed back against what he called an inappropriate tone from US Vice President JD Vance during his visit to Greenland.

In a video posted on the Elon Musk-owned social media platform X on Saturday night, Rasmussen said Denmark remains a close US ally but objected to the manner of Vance’s criticism.

"We are open to criticism, but we do not appreciate the tone in which it is delivered," Rasmussen stated. "This is not how you talk to your close allies."

The remarks came after Vance, during a Friday visit to the US military’s Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, accused Denmark of failing to adequately support Greenland’s development and claimed the base was "less secure than it was 30-40 years ago" due to allies "not keeping up".

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Rasmussen emphasized Denmark’s willingness to discuss expanded US military presence in Greenland under the existing 1951 defense agreement, which grants Washington broad access to the territory.

"We can do much more within the framework of the agreements we have today," he said.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also rejected Vance’s comments, calling them unfair and stressing Denmark’s longstanding alliance with the US. The diplomatic tension reflects shifting Arctic dynamics, with Rasmussen acknowledging that the previous "low tension" era in the region is over. "The status quo is not an option," he said.