US lawmakers arrive in Copenhagen to counter Trump's Greenland threats

A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers will meet with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland on Friday to reassure them of congressional support despite President Donald Trump's threats to seize the Arctic island.



Trump has said Greenland is vital to U.S. security because of its strategic location and large supply of minerals and has not ruled out the use of force to take it. European nations this week sent small numbers of military personnel to the island at Denmark's request.



The 11-member U.S. ‍delegation, led by Democratic Senator Chris Coons, is scheduled to meet with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen, according to Frederiksen's office.



"At a time of increasing international instability, we need to draw closer to our allies, not drive them away," Coons said in a press release earlier this week, adding the delegation would send "a clear message that Congress is committed to NATO."



The delegation includes Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski, though it is largely composed of Democratic lawmakers.