Overview
- President Donald Trump named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland, and Landry said the voluntary post’s objective is to make the island part of the United States.
- Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called the move completely unacceptable and said the U.S. ambassador will be summoned to the Foreign Ministry for an explanation.
- Greenland’s Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen issued a joint statement asserting that sovereignty is protected by international law and that Greenland’s future is decided by Greenlanders.
- The European Union voiced support for Denmark’s territorial integrity, underscoring that the kingdom’s sovereignty and borders must be respected.
- The appointment follows months of tensions that included a VP J.D. Vance visit to the U.S. Pituffik base, reports of covert influence efforts tied to U.S. actors, a Danish intelligence warning on U.S. assertiveness, strong Greenlandic polling against joining the U.S., and Trump previously not ruling out the use of force.