"We have had the very first meeting at senior official level in Washington yesterday regarding the Greenlandic issue," Lars Løkke Rasmussen told journalists at an EU meeting in Brussels. "It went well in a very constructive atmosphere and tone, and new meetings are planned. The trilateral talks come after US President Donald Trump last week backed down from his threats to seize the autonomous Arctic territory of EU and NATO member Denmark. Things were escalating, but now we are back on track," Løkke said. "I'm slightly more optimistic today than a week ago."