European leaders moved swiftly to back Greenland on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump named a special envoy to the Arctic island, sparking a new diplomatic frenzy on the continent.
Trump’s appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as his envoy to Greenland marks another move in his gambit to annex the self-governing Danish territory. The U.S. “has to have Greenland for national security,” Trump said at a press conference on Monday.
Landry said he would travel to Greenland to convince locals to become part of the United States.
“There is no better flag for freedom and opportunity than the flag of the United States. I look forward to sharing that message with the people of Greenland,” Landry said in a post on X.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen reacted with anger to the announcement and summoned U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Ken Howery for a dressing down. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen called the appointment “completely unacceptable.”
Trump has previously attempted to buy Greenland, but both Danish and Greenlandic politicians have repeatedly said that the mineral-rich island is not for sale. Back in January the American leader didn’t rule out taking the island by military force.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen lamented the power games being played over the future of his Arctic homeland.
“Sad, because the U.S. president once again expressed a desire to take over Greenland at a press conference last night. With such words, our country is reduced to a question of security and power. That is not how we see ourselves, and that is not how we in Greenland can or should be spoken about,” Nielsen said in a post on social media.
In a new development, Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, said on Tuesday that Howery had recently visited Nuuk but had not mentioned Trump’s plans to appoint Landry.
“The Government of Greenland has not been informed that the United States would appoint a special envoy to Greenland,” Motzfeldt wrote in a press release, adding that Howery had not mentioned the plan at a meeting. “This is not an expression of trust,” she added.
“In Greenland, nothing has changed. The future of our country is determined by the Greenlandic people. We are not Danes. We are not Americans, and we do not want to become one. We are Inuiaat Kalaallit, we are the Greenlandic people. Our land is ours and others will not control or own it.”
Several European leaders reacted to Landry’s nomination by expressing solidarity with Greenlanders.
“Greenland belongs to its people,” French President Emmanuel Macron stated in a post. “Denmark stands as its guarantor.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted that territorial integrity and sovereignty were fundamental principles of international law.
“We stand in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland,” she wrote on social media.
Jakob Weizman contributed reporting.