Donald Trump has reignited his controversial pursuit of Greenland. Five years after his first attempt to buy the Arctic island went nowhere, he's back with a new approach: appointing someone whose job is literally to help America take it over. Denmark is not amused.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry got tapped on Sunday as Trump's special envoy to Greenland, and he did not mince words about his mission. He posted straight to X that it was 'an honour to serve... in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US'. The move has prompted a swift and angry response from Copenhagen, which has summoned the US ambassador for an explanation.
'You Cannot Annex Another Country'
Copenhagen's response was swift and angry. Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called the whole thing 'deeply upsetting' and told TV2 that Denmark cannot accept 'actions that undermine our territorial integrity'.
Danish officials say they'd been getting assurances from American counterparts for months that no surprises were coming on Greenland. As recently as two weeks ago, they were hearing the same message. Then, Trump announces Landry without warning. Not even the State Department seems to have known it was happening.
Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen kept his cool but was equally firm. Writing on Facebook, he said the appointment 'does not change anything for us' and that 'Greenland belongs to Greenlanders'. He and Danish PM Mette Frederiksen put out a joint statement making it brutally clear: 'You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security'.
EU Rallies Behind Denmark
The European Union jumped in fast, with Ursula von der Leyen posting support for Denmark and Greenland. Germany's Foreign Ministry chimed in too, saying Greenland's future is for Greenlanders to decide.
Trump tried buying Greenland back in 2019 during his first term as president. Both Denmark and Greenland said no, with Frederiksen calling the idea 'absurd'. Trump took it badly, called her 'nasty', and cancelled his Denmark trip.
A New Diplomatic Provocation
The envoy appointment is new territory. America hasn't had a special representative for Greenland in modern times. Landry doesn't need approval from Denmark or Greenland because envoys are informal appointments, but having someone whose stated job is to annex the place is a major diplomatic provocation.
Trump's justification is all about national security. He wrote on Truth Social that Landry 'understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security' and will advance American interests. It's the same argument he made in January when he said controlling Greenland is 'an absolute necessity'.
Greenland sits between North America and Europe, which does make it strategically important. The Americans have had the Pituffik Space Base there since the Second World War, now the Defence Department's northernmost installation. The Arctic's also heating up as melting ice opens shipping routes and makes mineral resources more accessible. Greenland's sitting on deposits of rare earth metals and uranium that everyone wants.
Vice-President JD Vance visited the base in March, asking Greenlanders to 'cut a deal with the US'. The Trump administration reopened a consulate in Nuuk back in 2020 after it'd been shut since 1953.
Hi Trump!
— Orla Joelsen (@OJoelsen) December 22, 2025
When your so-called appointed “special envoy to Greenland,” the Governor of Louisiana, comes to Nuuk, please pass on my regards and tell him that he will be welcomed by a massive demonstration—larger than the one we held back in March this year.
Your special envoy… pic.twitter.com/CJcAPH5QvW
Greenlanders 'Not Interested'
About 57,000 people live in Greenland. They've had extensive self-government since 1979, though Denmark still handles defence and foreign policy. Most Greenlanders fancy independence from Denmark eventually, but they're not keen on swapping Danish rule for American rule. A recent poll showed only 6% support for joining the US.
Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen, a professor at the University of Copenhagen, told Reuters that Landry's appointment proves Denmark's efforts to keep Trump happy have been pointless. 'All the money Denmark has invested in Greenland, in the defence of the Arctic, and all the friendly things we have said to the Americans, have had no effect at all'.
Why This Matters Beyond Greenland
This is not just about one island. Trump's also been talking about taking back the Panama Canal and joking about Canada becoming the 51st state. It is all part of what he's calling control over the 'Western hemisphere'. This would basically be expanding American territory in ways that haven't been seen since the 19th century.
Denmark's a NATO ally. America doesn't actually need to own Greenland to use its military facilities or cooperate on Arctic security - it already does all that through existing agreements. But Trump seems fixated on the idea of territorial expansion, which is making allies nervous. Whether Landry's appointment leads anywhere concrete or fizzles out like the 2019 attempt remains to be seen. What's obvious is that Denmark, Greenland, and Europe aren't treating it as another Trump joke. They're bracing for a diplomatic fight.
