‘Probably needed a drink too’: Ministers of Denmark and Greenland took a public smoke break after listening to Rubio and Vance’s bullshit
No one needed to say anything after that.
Diplomacy is usually built on handshakes, careful language, and controlled expressions. What diplomatic meetings are not usually followed by is a visible coping mechanism: a smoke break. But that’s exactly what Denmark and Greenland officials had to resort to.
After meeting with U.S. officials Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance on Jan. 15, the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland stepped outside and lit up cigarettes in full camera view. There was no press statement right after. Just a quiet smoke break that said more than any speech ever could.
The sit-down came amid escalating threats from the Trump administration about a Greenland takeover. Trump has repeatedly suggested that the United States could or should do something “whether they like it or not.” He has framed Greenland as a strategic asset vulnerable to Russian and Chinese influence. In essence, he has openly dismissed Danish sovereignty as a technicality.
So, Rubio and Vance were sent to “smooth things over” with ministers of Denmark and Greenland. Instead, they appear to have delivered the same message with different packaging. According to the BBC, Danish and Greenlandic officials went into the meeting already braced for a diplomatic gut punch. But they left it looking like they needed oxygen… or nicotine.
The smoke break that went viral
The video making waves on X is unremarkable in one sense. Two officials step outside, light cigarettes, and talk quietly. Their body language is tight, and their faces look strained. But in another sense, it’s impossible to miss what’s happening. This was not a casual break; it was decompression. It’s the physical aftermath of being forced to listen politely while your country’s sovereignty is treated like a lease agreement.
This is what happens when you sit through a meeting where the subtext is “we’re bigger, richer, and we’ve decided you’re a problem.” The internet understood the officials immediately, and the reaction wasn’t scandalous. People did not waste time parsing diplomatic nuance. “I would head straight to the dispensary,” one user on X wrote. “I don’t smoke, but I’d be inhaling the whole pack after five minutes with them,” another added.
Several people repeatedly noted, “They probably needed a drink too.” While another joked, “They probably only started smoking after meeting Rubio and Vance.” And the joke landed because it felt true. The smoke break didn’t break protocol or violate any rules. But diplomacy is about perception.
What this moment communicated was exhaustion, disbelief, and barely concealed frustration. These were not officials emerging from a productive exchange. It was clear that they were processing something they did not enjoy hearing. At the same time, they had no power to stop it at the moment. So, they did the most passive-aggressive thing to respond: Light a cigarette in cold air.
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