Former US President Donald Trump has triggered a fresh diplomatic dispute with Denmark after appointing a special envoy to Greenland, the vast Arctic island he has repeatedly said he wants the United States to annex.
Responding to a question from the BBC, Trump said the US needed Greenland for “national protection,” adding, “we have to have it.” He announced that Jeff Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana, would serve as special envoy to Greenland, saying Landry would “lead the charge.”
Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
The move has angered Danish authorities, who said they would summon the US ambassador in Copenhagen for “an explanation.” Greenland’s Prime Minister said the island must “decide our own future” and that its territorial integrity must be respected.
In a post on X, Gov. Landry said it was an honour to serve in a “volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US.”
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has revived his long-standing interest in Greenland, citing its strategic location and importance to US security. He has refused to rule out the use of force to secure control of the island, a stance that has shocked Denmark, a NATO ally with historically close ties to Washington.
“We’ll have to work that out,” Trump said. “We need Greenland for national security, not minerals,” specifically citing the presence of Chinese and Russian vessels in surrounding waters.
Greenland, home to about 57,000 people, has enjoyed extensive self-government since 1979, although defence and foreign policy remain under Danish control. While most Greenlanders support eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the United States.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described the appointment as “deeply upsetting” and warned Washington to respect Danish sovereignty.
“As long as we have a kingdom consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, we cannot accept actions that undermine our territorial integrity,” he told Danish broadcaster TV2.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the territory was open to cooperation with the US and other partners, but only on the basis of mutual respect.
“The appointment of a special envoy changes nothing,” he said. “We decide our own future. Greenland belongs to Greenlanders, and our territorial integrity must be respected.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union stands in “full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”
Trump later wrote on social media that Landry understood how “essential Greenland is to our national security” and would advance US interests. Analysts noted that the appointment reflects a US presumption that Greenland is separate from Denmark, as well as Landry’s own assertion that he would help bring the territory under US control.
Special envoys are informal appointments and, unlike official diplomats, do not require approval from the host country.
Trump first proposed buying Greenland during his initial presidential term in 2019, a suggestion firmly rejected by both Denmark and Greenland’s government, which responded: “Greenland is not for sale.”
Landry, a military veteran and former police officer, previously served as a US Congressman and Louisiana’s attorney general before being elected governor in 2023. He said his envoy role would not interfere with his duties as governor.
The dispute comes amid intensifying strategic competition in the Arctic, where melting ice is opening new shipping routes and expanding access to valuable resources. Greenland’s location between North America and Europe makes it central to US and NATO security planning.
The United States has maintained a military presence in Greenland since World War II and reopened its consulate in Nuuk in 2020. Vice-President JD Vance visited the US base in Greenland in March, urging Greenlanders to “cut a deal with the US.”
Source: Reuters
