Chicago – December 22, 2025
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen expressed profound dismay on Monday over U.S. President Donald Trump’s appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland, who has voiced ambitions for the island to join the United States. Rasmussen called the move “deeply upsetting” and the envoy’s statements “completely unacceptable,” stressing that all parties, including the U.S., must respect Denmark’s territorial integrity.
The announcement, made via social media on Sunday, reignites Trump’s long-standing interest in the strategically vital Arctic territory, rich in minerals and key to national security. Landry affirmed on X his intent to serve in a volunteer capacity “to make Greenland a part of the U.S.,” without impacting his governorship.
Denmark plans to summon the U.S. ambassador, while Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish PM Mette Frederiksen jointly declared, “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders” and cannot be annexed. The EU has affirmed Denmark’s sovereignty amid the diplomatic tensions.
