COPENHAGEN: Denmark said on Monday it would summon the US ambassador after President Donald Trump appointed a special envoy to Greenland who immediately vowed to make the Danish autonomous territory “a part of the US”. Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly said the US needs the resource-rich Arctic island for security reasons, and has refused to rule out the use of force to secure it. On Sunday, Trump appointed the governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, as special envoy to Greenland.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said that he was “deeply angered” by the move and warned Washington to respect Denmark’s sovereignty. In a post on his social media platform Truth Socia, Trump said Landry “understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.” Landry responded directly to Trump in a post on X: “It’s an honour to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US.”
The Danish foreign minister told television TV2 the appointment and statements were “totally unacceptable” and said his ministry would call in the US ambassador in the coming days “to get an explanation”. “As long as we have a kingdom in Denmark that consists of Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland, we cannot accept that there are those who undermine our sovereignty,” he said. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a joint statement recalling that “national borders and the sovereignty of states are rooted in international law.”
“You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security,” they said, adding: “We expect respect for our joint territorial integrity.” In a Facebook post addressed to Greenlanders, Nielsen said the appointment of a special envoy “doesn’t change anything for us here at home”. “We will determine our future ourselves. Greenland is our country,” he wrote, adding: “Greenland belongs to Greenlanders.” The European Commission on Monday expressed its firm support for Denmark. “Preserving the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, its sovereignty and the inviolability of its borders is essential for the European Union,” Anouar El Anouni, a spokesman for the bloc’s diplomatic service, told reporters.
The vast majority of Greenland’s 57,000 people want to become independent from Denmark, but do not wish to become part of the United States, according to a January opinion poll. Leaders of both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly insisted that the vast island is not for sale and that it will decide on its own future. “The appointment confirms the continued American interest in Greenland,” Lokke Rasmussen said in a statement. “However, we insist that everyone — including the US — must show respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Greenland, located between North America and Europe, is strategic at a time of rising US, Chinese and Russian interest in the Arctic, as the race for rare earths heats up and as melting ice caused by global warming opens up new shipping routes.
Greenland’s location also puts it on the shortest route for missiles between Russia and the United States. The US has its Pituffik military base in Greenland, an essential part of Washington’s missile-defence infrastructure. It also opened a consulate on the island in June 2020. In August, Denmark summoned the US charge d’affaires after reports of attempted interference in Greenland. — AFP
