Trump names Louisiana governor as Greenland special envoy, prompting Danish alarm

WASHINGTON/COPENHAGEN, Dec 22 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry on Sunday as his special envoy to Greenland, reigniting Danish and Greenlandic alarm over Washington's plans for the vast, mineral-rich Arctic island.

Trump has said several times over the years that Greenland, a Danish territory that is now largely self-governing, should become part of the U.S., citing security reasons and an interest in the island's mineral resources. Landry has praised the idea.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Monday he would summon the U.S. ambassador to Copenhagen, saying he had been particularly upset by Landry's support for Trump's aim of making Greenland part of the United States. Greenland's prime minister reiterated that the island would decide its own future.

"Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Sunday.

The White House did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Landry, who took office as Louisiana governor in January 2024, thanked Trump on X, saying: "It’s an honor to serve ... in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S. This in no way affects my position as Governor of Louisiana!"

DANISH CONSTERNATION

Greenland and Denmark have consistently rejected that idea.

Lokke Rasmussen told Denmark's TV 2: "I am deeply upset by this appointment of a special envoy. And I am particularly upset by his statements, which we find completely unacceptable."

Earlier, in an emailed statement to Reuters, Lokke Rasmussen said: "We insist that everyone – including the U.S. – must show respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark."

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a post on Facebook: "We have woken up again to a new announcement from the U.S. president. This may sound big, but it does not change anything for us. We decide our own future."

Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, said the appointment of a U.S. envoy was not in itself a problem.

"The problem is that he's been given the task of taking over Greenland or making Greenland part of the United States, and there's no desire for that in Greenland," Chemnitz told Reuters.

"There is a desire to respect the future that a majority in Greenland wants, namely to remain their own country and develop their independence over time."

Seeking to mitigate tensions with the Trump administration over the past year, Denmark, a NATO ally of the United States, has focused on strengthening Greenland's defence to address U.S. criticisms about inadequate security.

Greenland, a former Danish colony and home to only around 57,000 people, has held the right to declare independence from Denmark since 2009.

Its economy relies heavily on fishing and subsidies from Copenhagen, and the island sits strategically along the shortest route between Europe and North America, a vital location for the U.S. ballistic missile defence system.

(Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in New York, Arathy Somasekhar in Houston and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen; additional reporting by Anusha Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Sergio Non, Stephen Coates, Saad Sayeed and Gareth Jones)