Updated by Eric Kikomeko at 2127 EAT on Monday 22 December 2025

Donald Trump has sparked a fresh diplomatic row with Denmark after appointing a special envoy to Greenland, the vast Arctic island he has previously said he would like to annex.

Trump announced on Sunday that Jeff Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana, would serve as the United States’ special envoy to Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Landry said in a post on X that it was an honour to serve in what he described as a “volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US.”

The appointment drew a sharp response from Copenhagen, which said it would summon the US ambassador to seek “an explanation.”

Greenland’s prime minister said the island must “decide our own future” and stressed that its “territorial integrity must be respected.”

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has revived his long-standing interest in Greenland, pointing to its strategic location and mineral resources.

He has not ruled out the use of force to assert control over the island, a stance that has unsettled Denmark, a NATO ally that has traditionally maintained close relations with Washington.

Greenland, with a population of about 57,000, has enjoyed broad self-rule since 1979, though defence and foreign policy remain the responsibility of Denmark.

While many Greenlanders favour eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to joining the United States.

Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, described the appointment of Jeff Landry as “deeply upsetting” and urged 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,” Rasmussen told Danish broadcaster TV2.

Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said the territory was open to cooperation with the United States and other countries, but only on the basis of mutual respect.

“The appointment of a special envoy does not change anything for us. We decide our own future. Greenland belongs to Greenlanders, and territorial integrity must be respected,” Nielsen said.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on X that the EU stands in “full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”

Trump said on social media that Landry understood how “essential Greenland is to our national security” and would advance US interests.

Observers say the appointment highlights both the US assumption that Greenland is separate from Denmark and Landry’s stated goal of helping the island become part of the United States.

Unlike official diplomats, envoys are informal appointments and do not require approval from the host country.

The move underscores that Trump’s ambition to assert control over Greenland remains unchanged. Analysts compare it to his military and rhetorical posturing toward Venezuela, reflecting his aim to expand US influence across what his 2023 National Security Strategy described as “the Western Hemisphere.”

Trump previously attempted to purchase Greenland during his first term, but both Denmark and Greenland rejected the 2019 proposal, declaring, “Greenland is not for sale.”

A view of the old city of Nuuk, Greenland, with coloured wooden houses surrounded by snow and ice. (Reuters/BBC)

Jeff Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana and newly appointed US special envoy to Greenland, has previously voiced strong support for bringing the Arctic territory under US control. In January, he wrote on his personal X account: “President Donald J. Trump is absolutely right! We need to ensure that Greenland joins the United States. GREAT for them, GREAT for us! Let’s get it done!”

Landry, a military veteran and former police officer, also served as a US Congressman and Louisiana’s attorney general before being elected governor in 2023. He said his new role would not affect his duties as governor.

The appointment has sparked a diplomatic dispute amid growing strategic competition in the Arctic, where melting ice is opening new shipping routes and increasing access to valuable mineral resources. Greenland’s location between North America and Europe also makes it central to US and NATO security planning.

The United States has maintained a military presence in Greenland since World War Two, establishing bases and radio stations after the Nazis occupied Denmark. Vice-President JD Vance visited the island in March, urging Greenlanders to “cut a deal with the US.” The US reopened a consulate in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, in 2020, which had been closed in 1953. Several European countries, as well as Canada, also maintain honorary general consulates on the island.

Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Establishment – Watch video here

Email: editorial@hicginewsagency.com TalkBusiness@hicginewsagency.com WhatsApp +256713137566

Follow us on all social media, type “HICGI News Agency” .