There is no appeasement possible with Donald Trump. About a year after he renewed his imperialist ambition with the announcement of his intention to annex Greenland, the president of the United States took another step this Sunday night (Washington time) with the appointment of Jeff Landry as special envoy for this island in the North Atlantic, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
Trump did it with a message on his social network, Truth, which was read elsewhere. In it, the hyperactive tenant of the White House tasks Landry, a believer in the MAGA (Make America Great Again) world, who received the appointment as a commission to turn Greenland “into part of the United States.” The EU reacted this Monday through a Foreign Affairs spokesperson: “The sovereignty of Denmark and the inviolability of its borders are essential for the European Union.”
There was also a rapid response from Copenhagen and Nuuk, capitals of Denmark and Greenland. “We have said it clearly before. Now we say it again: you cannot annex other countries,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s head of government, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said in a joint statement. “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders. The United States should not take over Greenland. “We hope that our common territorial integrity will be respected.”
The new shock is served. When the echoes of the publication of the US National Security Strategy have barely faded, which maintains and unequivocally defends the option of interfering in the internal affairs of partners to defend the ultras, Trump puts another threat on the table that, in addition, questions a key element among supposed allies: the inviolability of the borders of the States. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark as an autonomous territory and Denmark is part of NATO, a club to which the United States also belongs.
Landry’s appointment is exceptional not only because of the “predatory” nature of the gesture, an adjective that many analysts have used this year to define Trump’s foreign policy. It is also because it is the first time in history that a special envoy for Greenland has been appointed. In Washington, that figure is usually reserved for countries, regions or conflicts that represent a serious threat or opportunity for the interests of the power. In his second presidency, the Republican has named only a dozen: from the special envoy to Ukraine and the Middle East (Steve Witkoff) to those of Venezuela (Richard Grenell) or Latin America (Mauricio Claver-Carone).
“Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our national security, and will vigorously advance our country’s interests for the security and survival of our allies and, indeed, the world. Congratulations, Jeff!” Trump wrote in his message. In his reply in
Thank you ! It’s an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S. This in no way affects my position as Governor of Louisiana!
— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry)
After learning of the designation, Denmark asked Washington this Monday for “respect” for its territorial integrity. The Danish Foreign Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, announced in the local media his intention to summon the US ambassador to the country in the coming days to ask for explanations. The head of the Nordic country’s foreign policy stated that he is “deeply upset by this appointment of a special envoy.”
. He raised them before taking office for the second time in January. Its rhetorical objectives, for the moment, go beyond Greenland. The president of the United States has also repeated that he aims to turn Canada into the 51st state of the Union, no matter how crazy the idea may sound. It has also threatened to regain control of the Panama Canal, an infrastructure that was in American hands from its final construction (1904-1914) until 1999 when it was handed over to the Central American country after a period of shared management.
This year, the White House compiled calculations of how much it would cost to acquire and administer Greenland, in addition to the income that would be implied by the exploitation of its natural resources, mainly minerals, as reported in April by the newspaper. The Washington Post.
Trump even said at the beginning of the year that he did not rule out the use of force to annex the island, with 57,000 inhabitants and key to navigation around the Arctic region. Both its authorities, which has enjoyed the right to self-determination since 2009, and those of Denmark and .
