In one of the more bizarre turns of events on the international stage Denmark is expanding its permanent military presence on its territory of Greenland as US president Donald Trump has vowed to take control of the Arctic island “the easy way or the hard way”.

Perhaps it is not so strange amid a second Trump term that has seen him talk last year about taking over Gaza and turning it into the Riviera of the Middle East; US military actions in Iran and Venezuela; and the imposition of trade tariffs on US allies and adversaries alike.

In our lead story Derek Scally – who has been reporting from Nuuk and Copenhagen in recent days – writes that Denmark’s move to expand its military presence in Greenland with immediate effect came after “frank but constructive” White House talks over the future of the Arctic island ended after just 50 minutes.

After two weeks of transatlantic megaphone diplomacy, Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told his US counterpart Marco Rubio and US vice-president JD Vance that Copenhagen would view a US attack on Greenland as a threat to Danish territory, covered by Nato’s mutual defence pact.

In a post-meeting press conference, Mr Rasmussen announced a new “high-level” working group to find a “common way forward” that addressed US security concerns while respecting the “red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark”.

Denmark’s chief diplomat said repeatedly in a news conference that Greenland faced no immediate threat from China or Russia, contradicting a core argument made by the Trump administration to justify a US takeover.

Greenland is a largely self-governing territory inside the three-state Kingdom of Denmark, though security and defence remain competences of the government in Copenhagen.

Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, who also attended the meeting, welcomed the new co-operation, calling the US a security ally.

“That doesn’t mean we want to be owned by the United States,” she added.

Mr Trump did not attend the meeting but, after it concluded, posted on social media: “Nato: Tell Denmark to get them out of here, NOW! Two dog sleds won’t do it! Only the USA can!!!”

Denmark dismisses such claims, pointing to a €5.6 billion Arctic defence package last year.

In advance of Wednesday’s meeting, the Danish defence ministry announced even deeper co-operation in the region with its European Nato allies.

“From today, there will be an expanded military presence in and around Greenland,” the statement said, mentioning “aircraft, vessels and soldiers” from Denmark as well as France, Germany, Sweden and Norway.

Greenland and Denmark have repeatedly said the territory is not for sale, that the US is exercising “unacceptable pressure” on a long-standing ally and that a 1951 bilateral agreement already allows the US to massively expand its military presence on the island.

Inside the paper is this piece from the New York Times headlined Greenland envy shows size matters to Trump, setting out how if Trump gets his way the island would be the largest territory added to the United States.

It would surpass the Louisiana Purchase from the French in 1803 and the Alaska Purchase from the Russians in 1867.

It quotes Cornell University historian David Silbey as saying “Trump’s a real estate guy,” adding in his email: “and the idea of grabbing that much land seems to me his particular guiding force: THE MOST LAND EVER”.

Best Reads

Elsewhere on the front page Katie Mellett reports that the number of US citizens seeking asylum in Ireland increased more than fourfold last year compared to 2024.

Jack Horgan-Jones has a story on how a single data centre in west Dublin consumes 10 times the electricity of a nearby pharmaceutical plant employing 2,000 people, equivalent to enough power for 200,000 homes.

Miriam Lord outlines how one politician seemed to momentarily forget where he was during a watery Uisce Éireann debate in a piece headlined: The Dáil’s floodgates have opened and led to some Michael Collins cussin’.

The Moriarty tribunal has entered its 30th year after racking up more than €78m in costs, prolonging the work of the payments to politicians inquiry established in 1997 that published its final report in 2011. Arthur Beesley has the story here.

Harry McGee reports that more than 30 serving and former ministers who were overpaid due to errors in pension deductions have not yet entered a process to repay what they owe.

On the Opinion pages Newton Emerson writes that there has been a strangely subdued reaction in Northern Ireland to the proposal to turn Newry into a commuter base for Dublin. His piece is here.

Playbook

Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary is due to take Parliamentary Questions in the Dáil from 8.47am.

Darragh O’Brien, the Minister for Transport, is next up at 10.24am.

Leaders’ Questions is at noon.

There will be statements in the Dáil on Artificial Intelligence from 1.52pm.

There is an opportunity for TDs to ask questions on topical issues from 4.17pm.

Legislation put forward by Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould on derelict sites is to be debated at 5.17pm.

Representatives of the National Transport Authority will be before the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee from 10.30am.

The National Traveller Health Action Plan will be discussed at a meeting of the Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community at 12.30pm.

The Seanad does not meet again until January 20th.

The full Oireachtas schedule can be found here.