Fuming Denmark summons US ambassador over Trump’s Greenland envoy

COPENHAGEN – Denmark said on Dec 22 it would summon the US ambassador after President Donald Trump appointed a special envoy to Greenland
, the Danish autonomous territory he has threatened to annex.

Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Mr Trump has repeatedly said the US needs the resource-rich island
for security reasons and has refused to rule out the use of force to secure it.

On Dec 21, Mr Trump appointed Governor of Louisiana Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he was “deeply angered” by the move and warned Washington to respect Denmark’s sovereignty.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social early on Dec 22, Mr Trump said Mr Landry “understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World”.

Mr Landry responded directly to Mr Trump in a post on X: “It’s an honour to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US.”

The Danish Foreign Minister told television station TV2 the appointment and statements were “totally unacceptable” and said his ministry would call in the US ambassador in the coming days “to get an explanation”.

“As long as we have a kingdom in Denmark that consists of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, we cannot accept that there are those who undermine our sovereignty,” he said.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a joint statement recalling that “national borders and the sovereignty of states are rooted in international law”.

“You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security,” they said, adding: “We expect respect for our joint territorial integrity.”

In a Facebook post addressed to Greenlanders, Mr Nielsen said the appointment of a special envoy “doesn’t change anything for us here at home”.

“We will determine our future ourselves
. Greenland is our country,” he wrote, adding: “Greenland belongs to Greenlanders.”

The European Commission on Dec 22 expressed its firm support for Denmark.

“Preserving the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, its sovereignty and the inviolability of its borders is essential for the European Union,” Mr Anouar El Anouni, a spokesman for the bloc’s diplomatic service, told reporters.

The vast majority of Greenland’s 57,000 people want to become independent from Denmark but do not wish to become part of the United States, according to a January opinion poll.

Leaders of both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly insisted that the huge Arctic island is not for sale and that it will decide its future itself.

“The appointment confirms the continued American interest in Greenland,” Mr Lokke Rasmussen said in a statement e-mailed to AFP. “However, we insist that everyone – including the US – must show respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.”

Greenland is strategically located between North America and Europe at a time of rising US, Chinese and Russian interest in the Arctic, where sea lanes have opened up because of climate change.

Greenland’s location also puts it on the shortest route for missiles between Russia and the US.

In August, Denmark summoned the US charge d’affaires
after reports of attempted interference in Greenland. At least three US officials close to Mr Trump were seen in Greenland’s capital Nuuk trying to identify people for and against a rapprochement with the US.

The US opened a consulate in Greenland in June 2020. AFP