| ON GREENLAND: 'A FUNDAMENTAL DISAGREEMENT': To put it succinctly, the Danes just don't get it. They are ready, willing, and able to accommodate whatever President Donald Trump wants to do to bulk up defenses on their strategic Arctic island of Greenland, short of handing it over or selling it to the United States. "The U.S. has already a wide military access to Greenland. Under the 1951 defense agreement, the U.S. can always ask for increasing its presence in Greenland," Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said after meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance at the White House on Wednesday. "We would examine any such request constructively." Rasmussen called the talks "frank, but also constructive," but added, "Our perspectives continue to differ, I must say." "For us, ideas that would not respect territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of self-determination of the Greenlandic people are, of course, totally unacceptable," Rasmussen said. "And we therefore still have a fundamental disagreement, but we also agree to disagree. And therefore, we will, however, continue to talk." TRUMP CALLS GREENLAND VITAL TO GOLDEN DOME AS RUBIO MEETS DANISH OFFICIALS TRUMP: 'NOT A THING THAT DENMARK CAN DO': One of the most perplexing arguments Denmark and Greenland are hearing from Trump is that unless the United States "owns" Greenland, it is vulnerable to being taken over by Russia or China. "Greenland is, through the Kingdom of Denmark, a member of NATO and has been that since the very founding of NATO in '49 and is therefore also covered by Article 5," Rasmussen pointed out, which means under the core principle of the NATO treaty, the United States would have a solemn obligation to come to Greenland's defense. But Trump continues to suggest that unless Greenland belonged to America, he would just sit on the sidelines. "If we don't go in, Russia is going to go in, and China is going to go in, and there's not a thing that Denmark can do about it. But we can do everything about it." In a post on Truth Social, Trump again suggested NATO would have to defend Greenland from attack without the help of the U.S. "NATO would not be an effective force or deterrent – Not even close! They know that, and so do I. NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES," he posted. The crazy part about this whole scenario is that were the U.S. to attempt to take Greenland by force, NATO would be obligated to defend it from the U.S., which would paralyze the alliance since it requires consensus to invoke the Article 5 collective defense provision. In a speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sharply criticized Trump's obsession with Greenland, noting he has not heard of "a single thing we need from Greenland that this sovereign people is not already willing to grant us." "Make no mistake: All of the good progress the president has made in pushing allies to spend more on defense, the increased burden-sharing, the demand for American-made capabilities — All of it would be for nothing if his administration's ill-advised threats about Greenland were to shatter the trust of our allies," McConnell said. "Following through on this provocation would be more disastrous for the president's legacy than withdrawing from Afghanistan was for his predecessor." TRUMP DODGES ON WHETHER HE WOULD LEAVE NATO TO GET GREENLAND 'A BIT OF TRUTH': Danish officials are particularly vexed about Trump's mocking of the use of dogsleds (which are the most practical way to get around in the frozen north of the ice-covered island) and false allegations that Russian and Chinese warships are swarming near Greenland's shores. "There's always, you know, a bit of truth in what he's saying. And I definitely, and we definitely, share the concern that the Arctic is not any longer a low-tension region," Rasmussen told Fox News anchor Bret Baier last night. "And that's why we have invested almost $15 billion U.S. dollars last year in capabilities in Greenland." But the warships? "We haven't seen a Chinese warship in Greenland for a decade or so," Rasmussen said. "There is absolutely no Chinese investments in Greenland. We now build new international airports in Greenland. They are funded by Danish money." When China wanted to invest in an abandoned American military installation years ago, under its "Belt and Road" infrastructure initiative, Denmark refused the offer. "I personally intervened in this in order to avoid, you know, any Chinese footprint. So there's absolutely no Chinese footprint in Greenland." Rasmussen said he remains hopeful an accommodation can be reached with Trump, noting the latest polls show only 6% of Greenlanders would like to become Americans. "We agreed today that we will now set up this high-level working group to explore whether there's a way forward where we can accommodate, which I totally agree, you know, the president's concern, and still respect, of course, the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination." DENMARK AND US CREATE WORKING GROUP FOR 'FUNDAMENTAL DISAGREEMENT' ON GREENLAND Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense will not publish Monday, Jan. 19 as we observe the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday. HAPPENING TODAY: MACHADO TO LUNCH WITH TRUMP: Today's White House schedule lists a 12:30 lunch in President Trump's private dining room with opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who so far has been cut out of the remaking of the Venezuelan government post Nicolas Maduro. Machado's political party won the 2024 presidential election with an estimated 70% of the vote, even after Maduro banned her from running. "She's a very nice woman," Trump told Reuters. "I've seen her on television. I think we're just going to talk basics." It's not known if Machado will offer Trump the 18-carat gold Nobel Peace Prize medallion she was awarded last year. Trump has expressed satisfaction with the current regime of Maduro holdovers, who he says are willingly handing over the country's oil reserves to be sold on the world market. "I had a very good call with the Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez," Trump posted on Truth Social last night. "We are making tremendous progress, as we help Venezuela stabilize and recover. Many topics were discussed, including Oil, Minerals, Trade and, of course, National Security. This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!" TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RAKES IN $500 MILLION IN FIRST VENEZUELAN OIL SALE IRAN ON EDGE: As a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group moves closer to the region and the U.S. evacuates non-essential personnel from its massive air base in Qatar, Iran and the world wait to see whether, and how, President Trump will make good on his pledge to Iranian protesters that "help is on the way." During a bill signing ceremony promoting whole milk at the White House yesterday, Trump seemed to be in a wait-and-see mode. "We've been told that the killing in Iran is stopping — it's stopped — it's stopping, and there's no plan for executions, or an execution, or executions," Trump said. "I've been told that on good authority. We'll find out about it. I'm sure if it happens, we'll all be very upset." Trump said his information was coming from "very important sources on the other side," in other words, the Iranian regime. "They said people were shooting at them with guns, and they were shooting back. And you know, it's one of those things." On Fox News last night, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Bret Baier that Iranian security forces were fighting "terrorists," not protesters. "Terrorist elements, led from outside, entered these protests and then started to shoot police forces, police officers, and security forces," Araghchi claimed. "There were terror cells that came in. They used Daesh-style terrorist, you know, operations. They got police officers, burned them alive. They beheaded them. And they started shooting at the police officers and also to the people." Trump said yesterday that he's waiting for confirmation that the killings have stopped and the planned execution called off. "We're going to find out," he said. "But we've been told on good authority, and I hope it's true. Who knows, right? Who knows? Crazy world." IRANIAN PROTESTS TESTING TEHRAN'S GRIP ON POWER UNLIKE PREVIOUS ROUNDS WAR POWERS RESOLUTION FAILS: Two Republican senators caved to pressure from President Trump and voted against a War Powers Resolution that would have required congressional authorization for new U.S. military action in Venezuela. Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tiebreaking 51st vote to defeat the measure after Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Todd Young (R-IN) — who had voted to advance the bill — did not vote for its final passage. Trump had vilified the five Republicans who initially voted for the bill, which was largely symbolic, because even if it passed, Trump would have vetoed it. "Here we have one of the most successful attacks ever, and they find a way to be against it. It's pretty amazing. And it's a shame," Trump said at a speech in Michigan on Tuesday. The bill's chief sponsor, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), accused the Republicans of using an "obscure procedural trick" to block the bill from being debated on the Senate floor, and vowed "to file a whole lot more war powers resolutions to stop the President from taking military action against the many other countries he's threatened." "If President Trump were confident in the merits and legality of his deeply unpopular Venezuela war, he wouldn't have bullied members of his own party into using an obscure procedural trick to avoid a public debate about it," Kaine said in a statement. "The White House knows it has lost the American people on this issue — within 24 hours of the Senate's vote last week to advance my bipartisan war powers resolution, Trump publicly canceled a second wave of strikes on Venezuela." VANCE HELPS SQUASH VENEZUELA WAR POWERS PUSH IN SENATE WICKER: PUTIN 'GIVES LIP SERVICE TO PEACE TALKS': Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) took to the Senate floor yesterday to deliver an impassioned speech calling on President Trump to recognize that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no real interest in making peace with Ukraine. "I would point out that for the past year, Vladimir Putin has mocked the Ukraine peace process by steadily escalating his attacks on his neighboring country. He's recently launched the biggest air attack the conflict has ever seen and shown repeatedly that he is not interested in peace talks, Wicker said. "He gives lip service to peace talks, but his acts show that he's not interested." "I want to remind my colleagues today that, still, the most dangerous thing going on around the world today is Vladimir Putin's war against freedom and the West in Ukraine," Wicker said, while outlining what he believes should be the key objectives moving forward. "Ukraine should not be forced to give up the sovereign territory it deserves, and it currently controls; Putin should not achieve through negotiation what he has not managed to achieve on the battlefield; the United States should play a role in Ukraine's security guarantees on a permanent basis." "After four years, Putin knows a Russian victory is not inevitable. More and more, the American people see this and know this. A November poll found that 70% of Americans do not trust Putin to honor any peace agreement with Ukraine." Putin, Wicker said, is "unrepentant," "a liar," and "a war criminal who should be behind bars." "When Vladimir Putin smiles to American negotiators, he acts as our friend, and he acts as if we believe he's our friend. We have no reason to smile back at Vladimir Putin or trust him with anything but caution and contempt." CHANGING PENTAGON NAME TO DEPARTMENT OF WAR COULD COST UP TO $125 MILLION THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Iran promised Trump not to execute any protesters on day of expected hanging Washington Examiner: Iranian protests testing Tehran's grip on power unlike previous rounds Washington Examiner: Trump unsure Iranians would 'accept' Pahlavi as threat of US action against regime looms Washington Examiner: Qatar readies for possible Iranian military action targeting US forces Washington Examiner: Denmark and US create working group for 'fundamental disagreement' on Greenland Washington Examiner: Trump calls Greenland vital to Golden Dome as Rubio meets Danish officials Washington Examiner: Trump dodges on whether he would leave NATO to get Greenland Washington Examiner: McConnell says Trump seizing Greenland would be 'more disastrous' than Biden's Afghan exit Washington Examiner: Vance helps squash Venezuela war powers push in Senate Washington Examiner: Trump administration rakes in $500 million in first Venezuelan oil sale Washington Examiner: House passes two more funding bills as DHS legislation remains in flux Washington Examiner: Federal officer shoots illegal Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis, DHS says Washington Examiner: ICE officer who killed Renee Good sustained internal bleeding after being hit by her vehicle: DHS Washington Examiner: Border Patrol union endorses Abbott for fourth term as Texas governor Washington Examiner: Trump launches process to secure critical mineral imports and end China's dominance Washington Examiner: White House approves Nvidia chip sales to China despite bipartisan concerns in House Washington Examiner: 'Seditious six' Democrats who urged troops to disobey illegal orders contacted by DOJ Washington Examiner: Changing Pentagon name to Department of War could cost up to $125 million Wall Street Journal: Trump's Military Buildup in Caribbean Limits His Options in Iran Defense One: CNO Cautions Against Extending Carrier's Deployment for Iran Ops New Yorker: How Marco Rubio Went from "Little Marco" to Trump's Foreign-Policy Enabler New York Times: U.S. Races to Sell Venezuelan Oil, Transforming Ties With Former Foe AP: Trump Administration Lawyers Blessed US Operation to Remove Maduro from Power, Memo Shows Breaking Defense: Navy Chief Calls for Defense Spending to Hit 'New Normal' of 4% GDP Wall Street Journal: Welcome to Greenland, an Economy Reliant on Subsidies and Shrimp AP: What Americans think about Trump's military intervention abroad, according to a new AP-NORC poll Air & Space Forces Magazine: US Evacuates Personnel from Al Udeid Air Base as Trump Weighs Military Action Against Iran Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Sets Mandatory Wear Date for PT Uniform, Service Dress Remains Optional Air & Space Forces Magazine: MH-139 Grey Wolf Helicopter Flies First Convoy Mission Air & Space Forces Magazine: Impurities in Metal Gear Led to CV-22 Mishap; Crew Actions Mitigated Damage DefenseScoop: Katie Arrington Lands in Industry as CIO of Quantum Company IonQ THE CALENDAR: THURSDAY | JANUARY 15 8 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Virginia — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Northern Virginia Chapter Army IT Day 2026, with the theme "Dominating Technology to Increase Warfighter Lethality," with Army Undersecretary Mike Obadal; Army CIO Leo Garciga; and Maj. Gen. Christopher Schneider, deputy for acquisition and systems management in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army https://afceanova.swoogo.com/armyitday2026/begin 11 a.m. — Arab Center Washington, D.C. virtual discussion: "U.S. Raid in Venezuela: Implications for the Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy," with Phyllis Bennis, program director, Institute for Policy StudiesNew Internationalism Project; Matthew Duss, executive vice president, Center for International Policy; and Khalil Jahshan, executive director, Arab Center Washington, D.C. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register FRIDAY | JANUARY 16 3 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave., NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies Defense and Security Department U.S. Naval Institute Maritime Security Dialogue in-person and virtual event: "The Status of the Force," with Vice Adm. Brendan McLane, commander, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet; retired Rear Adm. Raymond Spicer, chief executive officer and publisher, U.S. Naval Institute; and Jerry McGinn, director of CSIS Center for the Industrial Base https://www.csis.org/events/status-force-vadm-brendan-mclane | | | | "I have yet to hear from this Administration a single thing we need from Greenland that this sovereign people is not already willing to grant us. Unless and until the President can demonstrate otherwise, then the proposition at hand today is very straightforward: incinerating the hard-won trust of loyal allies in exchange for no meaningful change in U.S. access to the Arctic." | | Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday |
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