Denmark is open to talking about missile defense systems and Arctic security cooperation with the United States, but don't expect them to budge on who actually owns Greenland. That's the message from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen following President Donald Trump's announcement of a "framework" deal discussed with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Drawing a Line in the Ice

Speaking on Thursday, Frederiksen made Denmark's position crystal clear: everything is on the table except the fundamental question of sovereignty. "We can negotiate on everything political; security, investments, economy. But we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty," she stated.

The Danish leader emphasized that NATO fully understands this stance. Denmark wants to keep working constructively with allies on beefing up Arctic security, including participating in the U.S.'s Golden Dome missile defense initiative, provided it respects Denmark's territorial integrity.

What's Actually in This Framework Deal?

The developments mark a notable shift in the ongoing Greenland saga. On Wednesday, Trump said a "framework" for a "long term" deal on Greenland has been reached. According to reports, NATO's Rutte reaffirmed Denmark's authority in the proposal while modernizing a 1951 defense pact to expand U.S. military cooperation, bringing Greenland under the Golden Dome umbrella.

Here's where it gets interesting: reports suggest Greenland could potentially grant the U.S. veto power over mineral investments as a way to block Russia and China from gaining a foothold in the resource-rich territory.

Trump also walked back some of his more aggressive rhetoric during his Davos speech, ruling out military force to acquire the Arctic island and backtracking on previous tariff threats against European allies.

Mixed Signals From Both Sides

The path to this framework hasn't exactly been smooth. Earlier this week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that delegations from Denmark and Greenland had agreed to continue technical talks on Greenland's acquisition. Denmark's foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, promptly contradicted that statement.

Rasmussen emphasized that without U.S. respect for Denmark's territorial integrity and the wishes of Greenlanders themselves, the talks won't go anywhere. It seems both countries are interested in deeper cooperation, but the question of ownership remains the third rail nobody wants to touch.