Trump’s Greenland envoy Jeff Landry has arrived in Nuuk at a politically sensitive moment for Greenland, Denmark and the United States, as Washington tries to present the visit as an exercise in dialogue while Greenlandic leaders remain cautious about the USA’s long-running interest in the Arctic territory.
Landry, the Republican governor of Louisiana and President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, is expected to attend the Future Greenland business conference in the Greenlandic capital on 19 and 20 May. He is travelling alongside the USA’s ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark, Ken Howery, whose visit also includes the opening of a new USA consulate office in Nuuk.
The official message from the USA side is conciliatory. Landry told reporters in Nuuk that he was there to “build relationships, listen and learn” and to explore whether there were opportunities to expand ties between the USA, Greenland and Denmark. According to Greenlandic media, he also said Trump had told him to go to Greenland and “make as many friends as possible”.
But the visit is taking place after more than a year of tension caused by Trump’s repeated statements about bringing Greenland under USA control. For many Greenlanders, the arrival of a special envoy associated with that goal is therefore more than a diplomatic courtesy.
Greenland weighs dialogue with Washington against public unease
Greenland’s government (Naalakkersuisut) has responded carefully to the visit, signalling that it is prepared for contact with the USA while stressing that the purpose of the delegation matters.
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Naalakkersuisoq for Foreign Affairs) Múte B. Egede said Greenland must be clear about the agenda brought by the USA delegation. He also acknowledged that some people feel unsafe after the pressure Greenland has experienced over the past year.
That unease has been reinforced by several recent episodes. In Nuuk, a mysterious American man recently drew attention after reportedly offering money to Greenlanders in exchange for support for becoming American. Although he most likely acted independently, the story spread quickly and fed concern about whether unofficial political activity was connected to Washington.
The atmosphere around Landry’s arrival shows how narrow the room for diplomacy has become. Greenland has an interest in stronger economic links with the USA, especially in areas such as infrastructure, minerals, defence logistics and Arctic investment. At the same time, Greenlandic leaders have repeatedly made clear that Greenlandic sovereignty is not negotiable.
Landry’s Greenland visit revives the controversy over Trump’s Arctic ambitions
The problem for Washington is not only the visit itself, but the political profile of the visitor. Landry was appointed special envoy after publicly supporting Trump’s ambition to make Greenland part of the USA. When he accepted the post, he described the role as a way to help “make Greenland a part of the United States”.
That message remains central to how the visit is perceived in Greenland and Denmark. Although Landry now says he is in Nuuk to listen and learn, his appointment was tied from the beginning to one of the most controversial foreign-policy ideas of Trump’s presidency.
The symbolism has been difficult to separate from the practical agenda. Sermitsiaq reported that members of the USA delegation arrived at a hotel in central Nuuk with boxes of “Make America Great Again” caps. In any other context, such campaign material might be seen as partisan branding. In Greenland, after months of anxiety over USA intentions, it risks being read as a political signal.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenland’s prime minister (Formand for Naalakkersuisut), has said that any meeting with Landry would require a clear agenda. According to TV 2, Nielsen is expected to meet Landry in Nuuk on Monday, although the timing and content of the meeting were not initially known.
Future Greenland becomes a stage for a wider Arctic dispute
Landry’s participation in Future Greenland has also placed a business conference at the centre of a geopolitical dispute. The organiser, Greenland Business Association (Grønlands Erhverv), said Landry was not personally invited, but that the conference is open to registered participants.
For the organisers, the situation is delicate. Greenland wants investment, trade and stronger international partnerships. It also wants those relationships to respect local democratic institutions and Greenland’s right to define its own future.
Christian Keldsen, director of Greenland Business Association, described the situation as unusual, noting that only a few months earlier many people in Greenland had feared a more direct USA pressure campaign. He said the hope was that Landry’s visit would help him understand what Greenland is, and perhaps change some of the assumptions that appear to shape his view of the territory.
That tension captures the wider challenge facing Greenland. The country is strategically central to Arctic security, transatlantic defence and the global race for critical minerals. It is also a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with its own political institutions, its own government and a strong debate over future independence.
Defence talks make the Nuuk visit more sensitive
The timing of the visit is particularly important because Greenland, Denmark and the USA are already engaged in high-level talks aimed at reducing tensions. Those discussions include security and the possible expansion of the USA military presence in Greenland.
The USA already operates Pituffik Space Base in north-western Greenland, a key site for missile warning and Arctic surveillance. Washington’s interest in Greenland has grown as the Arctic becomes more important for defence planning, shipping routes and access to resources.
Greenland has not ruled out deeper cooperation with the USA. But its leaders have drawn a clear distinction between partnership and control. Increased defence cooperation, new investment and a stronger USA diplomatic presence in Nuuk may be possible. Any suggestion that Greenland could be absorbed into the USA remains politically unacceptable in both Nuuk and Copenhagen.
For Denmark, the issue also touches the balance between alliance politics and sovereignty. Denmark is a NATO member and a close USA ally, but it has repeatedly rejected the idea that Greenland can be bought, annexed or pressured into changing status.
A test of whether the USA can rebuild trust in Greenland
Landry’s arrival in Nuuk is therefore a test of tone as much as policy. If the visit remains focused on economic cooperation, practical dialogue and institutional channels, it could help reduce tensions. If it is perceived as another attempt to normalise Trump’s claim over Greenland, it may deepen mistrust.
The next days will show whether the USA delegation can convince Greenlandic leaders and citizens that it is there to listen, rather than to campaign. For Greenland, the central message remains consistent: cooperation with Washington is possible, but only on the basis of respect for Greenland’s democratic institutions, its relationship with Denmark and its right to decide its own future.
