Trump says US needs Greenland after appointing special envoy

Donald Trump has sparked a new row with Denmark after appointing a special envoy to Greenland, the vast Arctic island he has said he wants to annex.

In response to a BBC question about the new role of Jeff Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana, Trump said the United States needs Greenland for “national protection” and “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 angered Copenhagen, which said it would call the US ambassador for “an explanation”. Greenland’s prime minister said the island must “decide its own future” and “its territorial integrity must be respected.”

Governor Landry said in an article on X that it was an honor to serve in a “volunteer position to integrate Greenland into the United States.”

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has reignited his long-standing interest in Greenland, citing its strategic location and mineral wealth.

He refused to rule out the use of force to secure control of the island, a position that shocked Denmark, a NATO ally that traditionally has close relations with Washington.

“We will have to fix this,” Trump added. “We need Greenland for our national security, not for our minerals.”

Trump specifically mentioned Chinese and Russian ships as potential threats in nearby seas.

Greenland, which has around 57,000 inhabitants, has enjoyed broad autonomy since 1979, although defense and foreign policy remain in the hands of the Danes. While most Greenlanders favor eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to joining the United States.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called Landry’s appointment “deeply upsetting” and warned Washington to respect Danish sovereignty.

He told Danish broadcaster TV2: “As long as we have a kingdom consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, we cannot accept actions that undermine our territorial integrity.”

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said his territory was ready to cooperate with the United States and other countries, but only on the basis of mutual respect.

He said: “The appointment of a special envoy changes nothing for us. We decide our own future. Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and territorial integrity must be respected.”

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

Writing earlier on social media, the US president said Landry understood how Greenland was “critical to our national security” and would advance US interests.

The significance of this appointment lies both in the American presumption that Greenland is separate from Denmark and in the new appointee’s assertion that he will help the island become part of the United States.

Envoys are informal appointments and unlike official diplomats, they do not need to be approved by the host country.

This appointment shows that Trump’s ambition to control Greenland remains intact.

Much like his military and rhetorical aggression against Venezuela, this indicates that Trump is determined to gain greater control over what his recent national security strategy calls the “Western Hemisphere,” a sphere of influence that he hopes will span the entire Americas.

Trump attempted to buy Greenland during his first presidential term. Denmark and the Greenlandic government rejected the 2019 proposal, saying: “Greenland is not for sale.”

Landry has already expressed his opinion on Greenland, write on your personal X account in January: “President Donald J. Trump is absolutely right! We must make Greenland join the United States. BIG for them, BIG for us! Let’s do it!”

Landry is a military veteran and former police officer who served as a U.S. congressman and Louisiana attorney general before being elected governor in 2023. He said his new role would not affect his duties as governor.

The dispute over his appointment comes as strategic competition intensifies in the Arctic, with 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 also makes it central to U.S. and NATO security planning.

The United States has maintained a base in Greenland since World War II, having invaded the territory to establish military and radio stations after the Nazi occupation of Denmark during the conflict.

Vice President JD Vance visited the base in March by asking the people of Greenland to “make a deal with the United States”.

The United States reopened a consulate in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, in 2020 – during Trump’s first term – after closing it in 1953. A number of European countries, as well as Canada, have honorary consulates general in Greenland.

Additional reporting by Bernd Debusmann Jr in Mar-a-Lago