US Envoy Alarms Denmark Again over Greenland

Kanako Mita and Michiyo Tanabe

Modern Tokyo Times

With a population of just 57,000 souls, Greenland now finds itself standing in the eye of a gathering geopolitical storm. Once perceived as a distant Arctic outpost, the vast icebound island has been thrust into the center of global power politics under the administration of President Donald Trump, who has made no secret of his belief that Greenland’s future is best secured beneath the strategic umbrella of the United States.

The Council on Foreign Relations reports, “Greenland is a self-governing Danish territory that gained autonomy in 1979, though the island still relies heavily on Denmark for financial support, as well as management of its monetary policy, defense, and foreign relations. Greenlandic representatives join Danish delegations at the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and European Union (EU). While Greenland has overseas country and territory status with the EU, the island is not a member.”

As Washington intensifies its pressure—quietly but unmistakably—on both Greenland and Denmark, the European Union has drawn a firm line in the ice. Brussels has rebuffed American overtures and declared unequivocal support for the status quo, standing shoulder to shoulder with Denmark in defense of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The stakes escalated further when France 24 reported that since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly argued that the United States needs the resource-rich Arctic island for national security reasons—and has refused to rule out the use of force to secure it. Such remarks sent shockwaves through European capitals, transforming diplomatic unease into open alarm.

Fuel was added to the fire with Trump’s appointment of Jeff Landry, Governor of Louisiana, as Special Envoy to Greenland. In Copenhagen, the move was viewed not as diplomacy, but as provocation—an unmistakable intrusion into Greenlandic and Danish affairs.

Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, did not disguise his fury. He declared himself “deeply angered” by Washington’s posture and issued a blunt warning to America’s ruling elites: Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland is not negotiable.

Meanwhile, the European Union—already charting a distinct course from Washington over the war between Russia and Ukraine—made clear that it would not waver. The EU announced its “full solidarity” with Denmark, signaling that Greenland is not merely a regional concern, but a test case for the international order.

Trump, unmoved, struck a defiant tone. He asserted that Landry fully understood “how essential Greenland is to our national security,” and would “strongly advance our country’s interests for the safety, security, and survival of our allies—and indeed, the world.”

Landry went even further, declaring, “It’s an honour to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US.” The remark landed in Europe like a thunderclap.

Rasmussen fired back without hesitation. “As long as we have a kingdom in Denmark that consists of Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland,” he said, “we cannot accept that there are those who undermine our sovereignty.”

Echoing Copenhagen’s stance, EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa issued a joint declaration, emphasizing that territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law. These principles, they stressed, are not optional nor regional, but universal.

“They are essential not only for the European Union,” the statement continued, “but for nations around the world. We stand in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”

As Lee Jay Walker, analyst at Modern Tokyo Times, observes: “Greenland is blessed with vast natural resources, and geopolitically, America under Trump believes control of the island would blunt strategic maneuvers by China and the Russian Federation.”

What was once a frozen frontier has now become a geopolitical fault line—where ice, resources, sovereignty, and great-power ambition collide.

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