Trump appoints a special envoy to Greenland to "make it part of the US"

BarcelonaDonald Trump's expansionist ambitions regarding Greenland remain as strong as ever. Since March He announced to the NATO president that he intended to annex that autonomous territory of Denmark.The US administration has been making its intentions clear. The latest move came this Sunday, with the appointment of a special envoy to the territory with the goal of making it "part of the United States." The mission will be led by Jeff Landry, governor of Louisiana. "Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our national security, and he will strongly advance our country's interests for the safety and survival of our allies and, indeed, the world. Congratulations, Jeff!" Trump wrote in a message posted on his social network, Truth Social. The Louisiana governor thanked Trump for entrusting him with the mission of "making Greenland part of the United States" and made it clear that he will hold this position concurrently with his current one.

While both leaders publicly wave the flag of "national security," Trump's ambition for the island is no secret: this year the White House has even compiled estimates of how much it would cost to acquire and administer Greenland, and what revenue it would generate from exploiting its natural resources. At the same time, Washington wants to consolidate its military presence in the Arctic – in fact, it already has a military base on the island, located in Pituffik – and to take advantage of potential trade routes that are opening up in this region with the melting ice, accelerated by climate change, to reduce navigation time.

"It's unacceptable"

The announcement has been met with shock in both Nuuk and Copenhagen. "We have said it very clearly before. We say it again now. National borders and the sovereignty of states are enshrined in international law. You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security," stated Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Niens-Fre. "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders, and the US will not seize Greenland," they concluded. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen also expressed his outrage and promptly summoned the US ambassador to demand respect for his country's territorial integrity. "It is completely unacceptable. That is why I have decided, in agreement with my Greenlandic colleagues, to summon the US ambassador to a meeting at the Foreign Ministry," the minister told Danish public broadcaster DR. He also explained that he has received the support of other European governments that are "equally outraged" and that "want to clearly distance themselves from US ambitions."

European leaders, slightly more comfortable with confrontation with Washington since the Trump administration unveiled its foreign policy roadmapThey have also interpreted the appointment of a special envoy to Greenland as a threat to their sovereignty and have issued a statement supporting "Denmark and the people of Greenland." "Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law," recalled European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, who stressed that these principles are not only fundamental "for the European Union, but for nations throughout the world." An EU spokesperson had echoed this sentiment hours earlier, also warning of the need to respect "the inviolability of its borders."

The Arctic island has a population of about 57,000 inhabitants spread across 2.1 million square kilometers, 80% of which is permanently covered in ice. It relies heavily on fishing revenues and annual financial aid from Denmark, which covers nearly half of its total budget. Most of its inhabitants support their right to self-determination (a right recognized in their Statute of Autonomy since 2010) but are unwilling to sacrifice their standard of living, while generally rejecting becoming part of the United States, according to polls.