US President Donald Trump has angered Denmark by appointing a special envoy to Greenland, a territory he has previously said he wants the United States to annexe.
Responding to a question from the BBC concerning the new position of Jeff Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana, Trump claimed the US needed Greenland for “national protection and simply that “we have to have it”.
According to the President, Landry would “lead the charge” as a special envoy to Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
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Unsurprisingly, the move has enraged Copenhagen.
Greenland’s prime minister said the island must “decide our own future” and its “territorial integrity must be respected,” per the BBC.
Landry wrote in a post on X that it was an honour to serve in a “volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US”.
Trump has recently revived his ever-growing interest in Greenland, referring to its strategic location and mineral wealth.
Trump has since refused to rule out the use of force to gain control of Greenland, a stance that has shocked Denmark, which has long viewed itself as a close US ally through NATO.
“We’ll have to work that out,” Trump added. “We need Greenland for national security, not minerals.”
Greenland is home to approximately 57,000 people and has had extensive self-government since 1979, however, defence and foreign policy remain in Danish hands.
Even though most citizens favour a future independence from Denmark, polls suggest an overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the US.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Denmark’s Foreign Minister, described the appointment of Landry as “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’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the territory is open to cooperation with the US, but only if based on 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,” he said.
Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission President, has shared her support for Greenland on social media, writing on X that the EU stand in “full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland”.