December 22, 2025, 12:59 p.mDecember 22, 2025, 12:59 p.m
Denmark has summoned the US ambassador for a meeting following US President Donald Trump’s appointment of a special envoy to Greenland. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told TV2.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.Image: keystone
Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly declared disputed ownership claims to Greenland, citing national security. The debate about this had died down somewhat recently.
Now Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he was appointing Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy for Greenland, which officially belongs to Denmark. Landry described it on Platform X as an honor to be able to help “make Greenland part of the USA.”
Jeff Landry, will be the new US special envoy to Greenland.Image: keystone
Landry’s statement “completely unacceptable”
Danish Foreign Minister Løkke Rasmussen told TV2 that Landry’s appointment as US special envoy came out of the blue. His statement was “completely unacceptable”. In a conversation with US Ambassador Ken Howery, Løkke Rasmussen wanted to protest against this and demand an explanation. According to TV2, he hopes the meeting will take place later today or on Tuesday.
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen.Image: keystone
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen was less outraged. There is no reason to be alarmed, Nielsen wrote on Facebook. The appointment of the US special envoy does not change the fact that Greenland has its own fate in its own hands. “We like to cooperate with other countries, including the USA, but this must always be done with respect for us and our values and wishes,” wrote Nielsen.
Greenland, located in the Arctic, is four-fifths covered with ice and is more than 50 times the size of Switzerland, but has just under 57,000 inhabitants. The island is largely autonomous, but officially belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark. (sda/dpa)
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