US special envoy Jeff Landry has arrived in Greenland for a visit.
May 18, 2026, 1:33 p.mMay 18, 2026, 1:33 p.m
Months after a brief escalation in the dispute over US ownership of the Arctic island, according to Danish media, he wants to meet Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, among others, and take part in an economic conference. The US representative was therefore not invited.
Jeff Landry, Governor of Louisiana, wants to “listen and learn” in Greenland.Image: keystone
He described his first impression of the island to the TV station DR after arriving in the cloudy capital Nuuk: “I love it – it’s great.” In view of US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to take over the Arctic island by force if necessary, visits like this are causing unrest among locals.
However, Landry struck a reassuring tone at DR: “I’m just here to build relationships, listen, learn and see if there are opportunities to expand the relationship between the US, Greenland and Denmark.”
Special envoy with message from Trump
Landry also had a message from Trump with him. “He said to me: “Travel there and make as many friends as you can,” said the American. According to the Danish Greenland expert Ulrik Pram Gad, however, this does not take the tension out of the conflict. “The problem is that it feels like pressure, even if they say nice and friendly things, because Trump’s agenda is not off the table,” he told DR. The president himself has destroyed the image of the friendly neighbor USA. (hkl/sda/dpa)