Denmark summons US ambassador over Greenland envoy
The United States’ move to appoint a special envoy to Greenland has sparked a wave of diplomatic anger in Copenhagen, with the Danish government announcing its intention to summon the US ambassador for urgent clarification on this decision, which it considers a breach of diplomatic norms and an infringement on Danish sovereignty.
Details of the diplomatic crisis
The Danish Foreign Ministry on Monday formally condemned President Donald Trump's announcement of the appointment of Republican Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as the United States' special envoy to Greenland. This Danish rejection stems from the island's status as a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, making direct diplomatic engagement and the appointment of special envoys without prior coordination with Copenhagen a highly sensitive matter.
In strongly worded remarks, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told local TV2, "I am outraged by the appointment and the statement issued regarding it, and I consider this completely unacceptable." Rasmussen confirmed that his ministry would be summoning the US ambassador in Copenhagen in the coming days to obtain a formal explanation for this unilateral move.
Historical background: From the purchase offer to the appointment of the envoy
This current tension cannot be separated from the recent historical context of relations between the Trump administration and Denmark regarding Greenland. In 2019, during his first presidential term, Trump sparked widespread international controversy when he explicitly expressed his desire to "buy" Greenland from Denmark, an offer that was met with outright rejection and sometimes ridicule by Danish officials and the island's inhabitants, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at the time describing the idea as "absurd".
The appointment of Jeff Landry now brings to mind those American ambitions, especially with Trump justifying the appointment by saying that Landry understands "the importance of Greenland to American national security," and that he will work to advance the interests of the United States for "the safety, security and survival of allies.".
The geopolitical importance of Greenland
Greenland is gaining increasing strategic importance in international politics, which explains the US determination to strengthen its influence there. The island is vitally located in the Arctic and hosts Thule Air Base, the northernmost US military base and a key player in the missile early warning system and space surveillance.
Furthermore, with the melting of its ice sheet due to climate change, Greenland has become a focus of attention for major powers, including China and Russia, given its vast natural resources and rare earth minerals, as well as the potential for opening new shipping lanes. The United States fears the expansion of Chinese influence on the island through investments in infrastructure and mining, leading Washington to seek a more direct presence there, which sometimes clashes with Danish sovereignty concerns.
