In brief
President Donald Trump's recent appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as the special envoy to Greenland has drawn sharp criticism from Denmark and Greenland's leadership. This move, which follows Trump's longstanding desire to acquire the Arctic island, raises significant questions about sovereignty and self-determination for the Greenlandic people. Greenland's Prime Minister emphasized that the territory's future should be decided by its own citizens, amidst growing strategic competition in the Arctic region.
Donald Trump has sparked a fresh row with Denmark after appointing a special envoy to Greenland, the vast Arctic island he has said he would like to annex.
In response to a question from the BBC about the new role of Jeff Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana, Trump said the US needed Greenland for national protection and that we have to have it.
Landry, he said, would lead the charge as special envoy to Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The move has angered Copenhagen, which said it would call the US ambassador for an explanation. Greenland's prime minister said the island must decide our own future and its territorial integrity must be respected.
Gov Landry said in a post on X that 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 mineral wealth.
He has refused to rule out using force to secure control of the island, a stance that has shocked Denmark, a Nato ally that has traditionally enjoyed close relations with Washington.
We'll have to work that out, Trump added. We need Greenland for national security, not minerals. Trump specifically mentioned Chinese and Russian ships as potential threats in the nearby seas.
Greenland, home to about 57,000 people, has had extensive self-government since 1979, though defense and foreign policy remain in Danish hands. While most Greenlanders favor eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the US.
Denmark's Foreign Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, described the appointment of Landry as deeply upsetting and warned Washington to respect Danish sovereignty.
Greenland's Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, stated that the territory was willing to cooperate with the US and other countries but based on mutual respect.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.
The significance of this appointment is both the US presumption that Greenland is separate from Denmark and the new appointee's assertion that he will help the island become part of the US. Envoys are informal appointments and do not have to be approved by the host country.
As with his military and rhetorical aggression towards Venezuela, it indicates Trump is determined to gain greater control over what his recent National Security Strategy called the Western hemisphere, a sphere of influence that he hopes will cover the whole of the Americas.
Trump tried to buy Greenland during his first presidential term. Both Denmark and the Greenlandic government rejected the 2019 proposal, stating: Greenland is not for sale.
Landry has previously expressed his opinion on Greenland, arguing that it should join the United States for mutual benefit.
The dispute comes as strategic competition in the Arctic grows, amidst melting ice opening new shipping routes and increasing access to valuable mineral resources.
Greenland is located in the Arctic between North America and Europe, which makes it central to US and NATO security planning.
