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Talks between the U.S., Denmark and Greenland are on a "good trajectory," a White House official said, despite a public dispute over President Donald Trump’s insistence that the United States should take control of the island. Technical talks are ongoing, the official told Fox News Digital Wednesday, "to address United States’ national security interests in Greenland.""We are not going to participate in a back and forth through the media, but we are very optimistic that we’re on a good trajectory," the official said.WATCH: EX-NATO CHIEF DRAWS RED LINE AS TRUMP FUMES ALLIANCE ABANDONED US DURING IRAN WARThe optimism comes after Trump said recently that Denmark and Greenland have resisted his proposal. "We want Greenland. They don’t want to give it to us," he said.The dispute centers on Greenland’s growing strategic importance, as the island sits along the shortest route between North America and Europe and plays a key role in U.S. missile warning systems and Arctic defense. Trump has argued greater U.S. control is necessary to counter Russia and China’s expanding presence in the region.The United States already maintains a military presence in Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement with Denmark, which allows U.S. forces to operate bases on the island as part of NATO’s collective defense framework. The U.S. operates Pituffik Space Base in Greenland — a key installation for missile warning and space surveillance — and retains broad rights to expand its military footprint in coordination with Danish authorities.U.S. officials have recently explored expanding that presence further, including seeking access to additional sites and increasing operational capabilities in the Arctic, with discussions underway as tensions over Greenland have grown. The Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) is pictured in northern Greenland in 2023.  (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP)Representatives for Denmark's and Greenland's governments did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, which retains responsibility for defense and foreign policy — exposing a rift within the NATO alliance.European leaders have rejected any change to Greenland’s status, emphasizing that the island’s sovereignty is not up for negotiation and backing Denmark’s authority over the territory.Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told NBC News in an interview published Wednesday the island's residents "don't feel safe" amid Trump's repeated push for ownership.The dispute already has moved beyond rhetoric. Denmark has expanded its military presence in Greenland, while European allies have stepped up Arctic exercises and coordination following the president’s push to take control of the island."Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the U.S. shall not take over Greenland," Danish and Greenlandic leaders said in a joint statement in December 2025. Former