Greenland is once again in Trump's sights. This is the US strategy
Louisiana's “great” Governor Jeff Landry understands “how important Greenland is to our national security and will vigorously defend our country's interests,” Donald Trump said on Truth Social.
Shortly thereafter, Landry spoke up himself. “It is an honor for me to serve in this honorary position make Greenland part of the United States” – he declared. These are the most decisive words spoken by the American authorities in recent months in relation to the Danish island territory. The Danish reaction was correspondingly severe.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen he summoned the American ambassador and told Danish television station TV2 that he was “deeply angered by Landry's appointment and statement regarding the takeover of Greenland, which he found “totally unacceptable.” Moreover, in a written statement, he called on Washington to respect the “territorial integrity of the kingdom.”
The US administration's move is unusual in many respects. Special envoys are usually appointed to crisis-affected regions to accompany particularly difficult negotiations there. The persona of Jeff Landry also raises some questions at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, the nomination is not accidental at all – and fits perfectly into Trump's current strategy to take over Greenland.
“National security”
This autonomously governed island, belonging to Denmark, is located in geostrategically important point in the North Atlantic, which plays an important role in US missile defense.
Moreover, it is suspected that there are large deposits of raw materials in the Arctic, which attract the attention of Russia and China. Even before the start of his second term, the US president confirmed his interest in Greenland for “national security” reasons.
Since then, he has continued to pursue this plan: at first loudly — as when he did not rule out military annexation and sent both his son Donald Trump Jr. and Vice President J.D. Vance to Greenland — and later in more subtle ways. Danish media recently reported repeated attempts to organize a meeting with the Prime Minister of Greenland, but bypassing the Danish government.
In addition, at least three U.S. administration employees allegedly tried to recruit supporters of Trump's plan in Greenland and sow seeds discord between the Greenlandic and Danish people. When these allegations came to light in late August, Denmark summoned the charge d'affaires of the US embassy. These attempts, however, apparently did not bring much results.
Meetings with Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen were refused, and the people of Greenland overwhelmingly rejected joining the US. Now Trump is taking the logical step — and going on the offensive again.
Trump's special man
“We need it for national security. We have to have it,” the US president said during a press conference on Monday, answering a question about why he was appointing a special envoy for Greenland for the first time. It is not about resources, but about geostrategic interests. “If you look at Greenland, looking along the coast, you see Russian and Chinese ships everywhere,” he said.
This is clearly a test justifying the violation of basic norms of international lawwhich would mean annexation. That Trump chose Landry for this job is also no coincidence.
Jeff LandryWin McNamee/Getty Images
First of all, the 54-year-old has always been one of the most loyal supporters of the US president. From 2015 to 2024, he served as attorney general of Louisiana and then, with Trump's support, was elected governor of that state. In return, Landry always supported the Republican – including on the Greenland issue.
“President Donald J. Trump is absolutely right!” — he wrote on X in January. “We need to make sure Greenland becomes part of the United States. This is great news for them and for us! Let's get to work.”
“Nice to talk to people”
Apart from that, there are no visible qualifications for this position. But Louisiana's governor's choice may also have been for reasons symbolic. Today's state was part of the area of the same name that the United States bought from France in 1803. Trump sees this – as Landry's choice might be interpreted – as possibly a template for the purchase of Greenland.
The new special envoy addresses this in a video he posted the day after his appointment. Wearing a military-colored shirt, he stands in front of a buffet with typical Southern dishes and talks about the past of his region.
His family “has lived in this state for over 300 years” under many different flags. “The flag we ended up with is the best flag. The flag of the United States,” Landry said. As a special envoy, he wants to go to Greenland soon, “have a nice conversation with people” and bring them “delicious Cajun food,” he adds, pointing to the fried snacks behind him.
For now, it is not clear on whose initiative this nomination was made. Landry says in the video that the president called him and asked if he could “go to Greenland and talk to the people there about the possibility of joining the United States.” However, during the press conference, Trump said it was Landry who offered him his support.
Europe on Denmark's side
This is just a detail, but one that is being widely discussed in Denmark — after all, it could provide insight into how important this issue is to Trump right now. The Danes are once again concerned. And they are trying to perform the usual balancing act: clearly rejecting the claims without stepping too hard on Trump's toes.
“We have said it before. Now we say it again. National borders and the sovereignty of states are enshrined in international law,” said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark and Prime Minister Nielsen of Greenland. “You cannot annex another country. Even under the pretext of international security. We expect respect for our common territorial integrity.”
GreenlandAlex Hibbert/Getty Images
Support came from European partners. Norway “supports Denmark 100 percent,” said Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, wrote on X: “Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law.” She added that the EU “stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”
Support also came from Germany. — It is impossible to understand why the President of the United States is causing such unrest in his own alliance – says “Die Welt” member of the Bundestag Jurgen Hardt. With his confrontational approach, “Trump is unnecessarily spoiling relations with Denmark and other allies, thereby making it difficult to reach an agreement on new security requirements that would impress Russia and China,” the politician adds.
Dishes facing a challenge
The Danish government has been trying for months to find a way to deal with threats from Washington. A recently published intelligence report recognized the United States as a potential security threat for the first time. “The United States is using its economic power, including the threat of high tariffs, to impose its will,” the report says.
To counteract this, the Danish government is focusing on, on the one hand, diplomatics. Just two weeks ago, representatives from the US, Denmark and Greenland met on the island to discuss bilateral relations. Moreover, the American conference was recently held there military exercises. At the same time, Copenhagen is trying to improve relations with Greenland, for example by allocating much more funds for defense.
A few days ago, the government also promised compensation for victims of forced sterilization in Greenland. Their shared history is burdened by Danish colonial crimes, and the island has long desired complete autonomy from Copenhagen.
For Trump, this initiative may also serve domestic policy purposes. Recently, the debate about Jeffrey Epstein's files and the possible appearance of the US President in them has flared up again. It wouldn't be the first time Trump has successfully diverted attention from an unfavorable situation by launching a new provocation.
