Copenhagen, Denmark, 23 December (H.S.):

President Donald Trump intensified his pursuit of Greenland on Sunday by appointing Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to the Arctic island, a move that provoked outrage across Denmark and Greenland on Monday as officials decried it as a brazen challenge to Danish sovereignty.

Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen branded the appointment totally unacceptable and deeply upsetting during multiple Monday interviews, vowing to summon the US ambassador in Copenhagen immediately for a formal explanation while pledging to safeguard the Kingdom's territorial integrity, which includes Denmark proper, the Faroe Islands, and semi-autonomous Greenland.

The rebuke echoed through European capitals, with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen affirming full solidarity with Denmark and Greenlanders via an X post, underscoring transatlantic strains amid NATO alliance commitments.

Landry's Unambiguous US Integration Pledge

Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican stalwart, military veteran, ex-congressman, and attorney general who won Louisiana's governorship in 2023, embraced the unpaid, volunteer role on X without relinquishing state duties, hailing it as an honor to serve... to make Greenland a part of the U.S.—a statement amplifying Trump's Truth Social announcement that Landry grasps Greenland's critical importance to our National Security and will vigorously promote our Country's interests.

Trump, fielding BBC questions, stressed the island's indispensability for national protection against Chinese and Russian naval incursions in adjacent waters, declaring we have to have it while prioritizing security over its mineral riches and strategic position between North America and Europe.

Landry's enthusiasm mirrored his January X post affirming Trump was absolutely right on Greenland's merits for mutual gain, marking this as the first US special envoy to the territory of under 60,000 souls.

Nuuk's Defiant Self-Determination Stance

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen rebuffed the overture on Monday, insisting the island decides our own future and belongs unequivocally to its people, open to global partnerships solely on mutual respect without external imposition.

This aligns with polls revealing widespread Greenlandic preference for eventual independence from Denmark—granted broad self-rule since 1979, save defense and foreign affairs—yet staunch opposition to US annexation, reminiscent of 2019's categorical rejection of Trump's purchase bid as not for sale.

The furore unfolds against Arctic geopolitics: melting ice unlocks shipping routes and resources, bolstering US assets like Thule Air Base (seized in World War II after Nazi occupation of Denmark) and a Nuuk consulate revived in Trump's first term, plus Vice President JD Vance's March visit pitching a bilateral accord.

Broader Implications for Western Hemisphere Dominance

As informal envoys evade host-nation vetting, Trump's maneuver—elevating Greenland alongside Ukraine and the Middle East in ally deployments—signals unrelenting second-term ambitions to assert US primacy across the Western Hemisphere, per his National Security Strategy, reigniting frictions with a historically amicable NATO partner.

Danish media and officials framed Monday's backlash as a test of alliance resilience, with Rasmussen warning against actions undermining the Kingdom's cohesion during a TV2 appearance.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar