President Donald Trump has once again shaken the global stage by declaring that the United States needs to possess "Greenland," an autonomous territory of Denmark, for national security reasons. He has appointed Jeff Landry, governor of Louisiana, as a special envoy to lead this mission.
Trump told reporters in Florida that the main goal is not just the rich mineral resources but military strategy. "If you look at Greenland's coast, you'll see Russian and Chinese ships everywhere. We need Greenland for national security. We have to get it," Trump said, adding that Landry is very enthusiastic about "leading the charge" on this mission.
Meanwhile, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen issued a joint official statement saying, "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders," and emphasized that "no one can annex another country, even citing international security. The U.S. will not be allowed to take over Greenland."
Denmark's Foreign Minister immediately summoned the U.S. ambassador, stating that appointing a special envoy to seize another territory is "completely unacceptable."
The tension went beyond words when the Trump administration suspended permits for five offshore wind farm projects on the U.S. East Coast, including two developed by Orsted, a major energy company partly owned by the Danish government, which is seen as direct political pressure.
Greenland, a former Danish colony now self-governing, has about 57,000 residents, mostly Inuit. It is a crucial strategic point as it hosts important U.S. missile defense systems and contains vast rare minerals that the U.S. wants to use to reduce dependence on China.
Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen, a political science professor at the University of Copenhagen, told Reuters, "This appointment shows that all the money Denmark has invested in Greenland, in protecting the Arctic and friendly words towards Americans, means nothing at all."