Greenland became the centre of a renewed transatlantic dispute on Monday, 22 December 2025, after Denmark condemned the appointment by US President Donald Trump of a special envoy who publicly supports bringing the Arctic island under American control. The move has triggered diplomatic protests in Copenhagen and sharpened concerns among European allies over sovereignty, Arctic security and the limits of US influence. The WP Times reports, citing CNN.
Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said he was “deeply upset” by both the appointment and the envoy’s remarks. Speaking to Denmark’s national broadcaster TV 2 on Monday, Rasmussen said:
“I am deeply upset by this appointment of a special envoy. And I am particularly upset by his statements, which we find completely unacceptable.”
He confirmed that Denmark would summon the US ambassador in response, signalling a formal diplomatic protest rather than a symbolic objection.
The controversy followed an announcement made by Mr Trump on Sunday, when he named Jeff Landry, the Governor of Louisiana, as special envoy to Greenland. Writing on Truth Social, Mr Trump said Landry “understands how essential Greenland is to our national security” and would work to advance US interests “for the safety, security and survival of our allies — and indeed, the world”.
Mr Landry welcomed the appointment, describing it as an “honour” to serve in what he called a voluntary role. He added that his aim was “to make Greenland a part of the US”, while insisting that the position would not affect his duties as Louisiana’s governor. Those remarks immediately provoked backlash in both Copenhagen and Nuuk.
Mr Trump has repeatedly stated that the United States should take control of Greenland, a vast, resource-rich island in the North Atlantic that is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. He has argued that American control is necessary for national and international security, particularly as competition intensifies in the Arctic.
Denmark and Greenland have consistently rejected that position. On Monday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksenand Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen issued a joint statement reaffirming their opposition.
“You cannot annex another country — not even with an argument about international security,”
they said, adding that Greenland “belongs to the Greenlanders”.
Mr Nielsen earlier sought to downplay the immediate impact of Mr Trump’s announcement, saying it “may sound big” but would not change Greenland’s political reality.
“We decide our own future,”
he said, underlining the island’s insistence on self-determination.
Tensions over Greenland have been rising throughout 2025. In March, US Vice President JD Vance made a controversial visit to the island, repeatedly claiming it was vulnerable and that the United States had “no other option” than to expand its presence there. Danish officials criticised those remarks at the time as alarmist and damaging to trust between NATO allies.
In August, Denmark’s foreign ministry summoned the US envoy after reports by the country’s public broadcaster that several American citizens had attempted to conduct what were described as “influence operations” in Greenland. Danish authorities said the incidents heightened concerns about external pressure on the territory.
Reacting to the latest appointment, Rasmussen said it confirmed “continued American interest in Greenland” but warned that Denmark would not tolerate challenges to its sovereignty.
“We insist that everyone — including the United States — must show respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark,”
he said.
The European Union also intervened on Monday. EU spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said that preserving the territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of Denmark’s borders is “essential for the European Union”, signalling that the dispute could have broader implications for EU–US relations.
For Copenhagen, the appointment of a Greenland envoy who openly advocates US control marks a new and more confrontational phase in the debate. While Denmark acknowledges the strategic importance of the Arctic, it insists that security arguments cannot override international law or the right of Greenland’s population to determine its own future.
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