The plan was for foreign ministers from Denmark, Greenland and the United States to meet during today's meeting in Washington.
But at the last second, another person was added - US Vice President JD Vance, which experts interpret as an escalation of the already tense situation.
The decision signals that the US has appointed its "bad cop" to host the meeting, instead of letting its "good cop", Marco Rubio, hold the baton, according to Derek Beach, a professor at Aarhus University.
JD Vance has made a name for himself as something of an attack dog after the meeting with Zelensky and the speech in Munich. This is a clear signal of who is in charge, says Beach, adding that Denmark is holding its breath ahead of the meeting:
I think people are very, very nervous about this meeting. The worst that could happen is that it happens in front of cameras where Denmark is forced to face a public scolding about what a bad colonial power Denmark is and that Denmark cannot defend Greenland.
In all seriousness
According to Jan Hallenberg, associate senior researcher at the Swedish Institute for International Policy, the inclusion of JD Vance is a signal that the issue of Greenland is being taken very seriously in Washington.
This is another highlight. They are taking the issue one step further and believe they will be able to influence the Danes and Greenlanders even more.
But there are counter-forces on the other side of the Atlantic. On Friday, a delegation from the United States will arrive in Copenhagen to “mark 200 years of friendship” between the United States and the Kingdom of Denmark, Democratic Senator Chris Coons wrote in a press release.
Two Republicans
Coons will lead a delegation consisting of at least six Democrats and two Republicans who will, among other things, meet with Greenlandic and Danish members of parliament.
The problem, according to Beach, is that it is not a particularly powerful delegation in terms of being able to put pressure on the US president.
The Danish side had probably hoped for a Republican like Lindsey Graham to send a signal to the president that he does not have his party with him.
