President Donald Trump's special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, has begun his first visit to the Arctic island in a bid to build ties and make friends. I'm here simply to build relationships, to look, to listen and to learn, Landry said after stepping off an official U.S. plane in Greenland's capital Nuuk on Monday.
However, Landry's visit to the territory, a semi-autonomous part of Denmark, has touched a nerve, with Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen reiterating his country is not for sale and some Greenlanders giving Landry the cold shoulder.
The trip comes amid efforts to resolve a diplomatic crisis sparked by the U.S. president when he threatened to seize Greenland by force. Accompanied by a small entourage, Landry, who is also Governor of Louisiana, travelled for a business summit and will attend the opening of a new U.S. consulate building.
Also travelling with him is an American doctor, who told Danish network TV2 that he had volunteered to assess the medical needs in Greenland - a move that the country's Health Minister Anna Wangenheim criticized as deeply problematic.
Trump announced in February that he was sending a U.S. hospital ship to Greenland, an offer flatly rejected by Greenland's leader. Having been appointed to the envoy role in December 2025, Landry said the U.S. president had told him to go over there, and make a bunch of friends.
Jorgen Boassen, a Greenlandic Trump-fan who attended the president's inauguration, accompanied Landry as he toured the city. The envoy also met a former mayor and various business leaders as well.
Controversially, his visit takes place without an official invite and as delicate high-stakes talks between the U.S., Denmark and Greenland continue. On Monday, Landry, who insists he is visiting on a goodwill mission, and the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Ken Howery met Nielsen.
We clearly reiterated that the people of Greenland are not for sale and that Greenlanders have the right to self-determination, the prime minister later told reporters. Nielsen noted the good tone of the meeting but emphasized there would be no parallel discussion while top-level talks continued.
Greenland's foreign minister, Mute Egede, also said the U.S. had not given up on its aims to acquire the territory. We have our red line. The Americans' starting point has not changed either, Egede said.
Trump's repeated calls to take control of the autonomous Danish territory, due to its importance for U.S. national security, had sparked a diplomatic crisis. After Trump ruled out taking the island by force, a working group was set up to resolve the dispute. But while tensions have eased recently, an agreement between the countries has not yet been reached, and the U.S. is seeking a larger military presence.
Landry suggested that Greenland had been neglected by past U.S. administrations, stating, Before Donald Trump, the United States was ignoring Greenland. When asked about Trump's interest in Greenland, he deflected saying, You'll have to talk to the president yourself.
Despite his attempts to foster relations, Landry faces significant reluctance from Greenlanders, many of whom express wariness following Trump's comments and policies. Businesswoman Maliina Abelsen remarked that the timing of Landry's visit was inappropriate and indicative of an approach that bypasses essential diplomatic protocols. Meanwhile, author Aqqaluk Lynge worries that the current U.S. administration's actions have created a climate of distrust, despite past positive relationships with the U.S.
As Landry continues his mission in Nuuk, the opening of the new U.S. consulate building, mockingly referred to as 'Trump towers', symbolizes the complex and often fraught interactions between U.S. ambitions and Greenlandic sovereignty.
However, Landry's visit to the territory, a semi-autonomous part of Denmark, has touched a nerve, with Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen reiterating his country is not for sale and some Greenlanders giving Landry the cold shoulder.
The trip comes amid efforts to resolve a diplomatic crisis sparked by the U.S. president when he threatened to seize Greenland by force. Accompanied by a small entourage, Landry, who is also Governor of Louisiana, travelled for a business summit and will attend the opening of a new U.S. consulate building.
Also travelling with him is an American doctor, who told Danish network TV2 that he had volunteered to assess the medical needs in Greenland - a move that the country's Health Minister Anna Wangenheim criticized as deeply problematic.
Trump announced in February that he was sending a U.S. hospital ship to Greenland, an offer flatly rejected by Greenland's leader. Having been appointed to the envoy role in December 2025, Landry said the U.S. president had told him to go over there, and make a bunch of friends.
Jorgen Boassen, a Greenlandic Trump-fan who attended the president's inauguration, accompanied Landry as he toured the city. The envoy also met a former mayor and various business leaders as well.
Controversially, his visit takes place without an official invite and as delicate high-stakes talks between the U.S., Denmark and Greenland continue. On Monday, Landry, who insists he is visiting on a goodwill mission, and the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Ken Howery met Nielsen.
We clearly reiterated that the people of Greenland are not for sale and that Greenlanders have the right to self-determination, the prime minister later told reporters. Nielsen noted the good tone of the meeting but emphasized there would be no parallel discussion while top-level talks continued.
Greenland's foreign minister, Mute Egede, also said the U.S. had not given up on its aims to acquire the territory. We have our red line. The Americans' starting point has not changed either, Egede said.
Trump's repeated calls to take control of the autonomous Danish territory, due to its importance for U.S. national security, had sparked a diplomatic crisis. After Trump ruled out taking the island by force, a working group was set up to resolve the dispute. But while tensions have eased recently, an agreement between the countries has not yet been reached, and the U.S. is seeking a larger military presence.
Landry suggested that Greenland had been neglected by past U.S. administrations, stating, Before Donald Trump, the United States was ignoring Greenland. When asked about Trump's interest in Greenland, he deflected saying, You'll have to talk to the president yourself.
Despite his attempts to foster relations, Landry faces significant reluctance from Greenlanders, many of whom express wariness following Trump's comments and policies. Businesswoman Maliina Abelsen remarked that the timing of Landry's visit was inappropriate and indicative of an approach that bypasses essential diplomatic protocols. Meanwhile, author Aqqaluk Lynge worries that the current U.S. administration's actions have created a climate of distrust, despite past positive relationships with the U.S.
As Landry continues his mission in Nuuk, the opening of the new U.S. consulate building, mockingly referred to as 'Trump towers', symbolizes the complex and often fraught interactions between U.S. ambitions and Greenlandic sovereignty.
