President Donald Trump has triggered yet another round of international criticism of the United States after he announced on Monday that he has appointed Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland.
Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory that is a part of the kingdom of Denmark. Trump’s announcement is part of his years-long obsession with making Greenland a part of the United States. The U.S. has never before had an envoy to Greenland and previously had good diplomatic relations with Denmark.
“Turn left at Greenland” by Clay Jones
In a joint statement, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark and Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen of Greenland rebuked Trump’s actions.
“You cannot annex other countries,” they wrote, adding, “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders, and the United States must not take over Greenland.”
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission also slammed Trump, writing, “Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law. These principles are essential not only for the European Union, but for nations around the world. We stand in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”
In his statement responding to the announcement, Landry said he was happy to serve in a “volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S.”
Trump has been fixated on pushing his strange idea about annexing Greenland and has refocused on it since he returned to the White House in January. Trump even dispatched Vice President JD Vance to visit Greenland in March, where he received a cool reception from residents.
Officials in Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly said the territory is not for sale or available for annexation.
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Trump has been pushing the idea since his first term, first floating the notion back in 2019—possibly due to him misunderstanding how maps work to exaggerate Greenland’s size.
A poll of Greenland residents taken in January showed enormous opposition to Trump’s proposal. In that survey for the Danish newspaper Berlingske, 85% of Greenlanders said they were outright opposed to an American annexation. Only 6% favored Trump’s position while 9% said they were undecided.
Prior to Trump’s rhetoric, America enjoyed a strong relationship with Denmark and other international partners. Trump has constantly clashed with international leaders as he did in his first term. Trump has riled European allies, particularly over his tariff policies, and been in feuds with America’s closest neighbors—Mexico and Canada.
Trump’s default position is antagonizing the nations who have historically stood shoulder-to-shoulder with America in the past.
