Denmark insists on respect for territorial integrity after Trump appoints envoy to Greenland

Copenhagen, Denmark: The Danish foreign minister said Monday his country insists that everyone, including the United States, must respect "the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark" after President Donald Trump ‍announced the appointment of a ‌special envoy to Greenland, who said his goal would be to make the territory part of the U.S.

Greenland's prime minister said that the territory is happy to cooperate with other countries, including the U.S., but stressed that "we decide our own future." Denmark's foreign minister said in later comments to Danish broadcasters that he plans to summon the U.S. ambassador.

Trump called repeatedly during his presidential transition and the early months of his second term for U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland, a vast, semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, and has not ruled out military force to take control of the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island. In March, Vice President JD Vance visited a remote U.S. military base in Greenland and accused Denmark of underinvesting there.

The issue gradually drifted out of the headlines, but in August, Danish officials summoned the U.S. ambassador following a report that at least three people with connections to Trump had carried out covert influence operations in Greenland. Denmark is a NATO ally of the United States.

On Sunday, Trump announced the appointment of Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as ‌special envoy to Greenland, saying that "Jeff 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."

Landry wrote in a post on X that "it's an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S."


Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in a brief statement emailed by his ministry that "the appointment confirms the continued American interest in Greenland."

"However, we insist that everyone - including the U.S. - must show respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark," he added.

Danish broadcasters TV2 and DR reported that, in comments from the Faroe Islands later Monday, Lokke Rasmussen said he will call in the U.S. ambassador in Copenhagen, Kenneth Howery, for a meeting at the ministry.

Greenland's prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, wrote on Facebook that the country had again woken up to a new announcement from the U.S. president, but it "does not change anything for us at home."

Nielsen wrote that "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders, and its territorial integrity must be respected." He said that the territory is happy to cooperate with other nations, but that must always be done with respect for Greenlanders and their values and wishes.

Earlier this month, the Danish Defense Intelligence Service said in an annual report that the U.S. is using its economic power to "assert its will" and threaten military force against friend and foe alike.