Europe · 01 June, 2026 · 2 min read
Trump Appoints Jeff Landry to Convert Greenland Into U.S. Territory, Sparking EU Crisis
Trump's Greenland policy heightens US-European tensions over sovereignty and potential annexation. Denmark forms a center-left government as Greenland crisis persists.
Motives behind Denmark’s intensified Arctic posture.
11 of 12 outlets skipped it: denmark asked NATO to prioritize the Arctic region.
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Same story, two versions
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Prensa Latina
“Analysts note that Denmark seeks to reinforce its strategic position”Read the original ↗
Cadena SER
“tries to sow more discord between the United States and Western European countries”Read the original ↗
One frames it as Danish strategy; the other as part of Russian narrative tactics.
Trump names Greenland envoy
Donald Trump’s appointment of Jeff Landry as an “enviado especial para esta isla” of Greenland has triggered a new crisis with the EU, with the European response coming from António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen. In his Truth post, Trump designated Landry, a “fiel del mundo MAGA,” to convert Greenland “en parte de Estados Unidos,” and Landry later said on X that the mission would be “convertir a Groenlandia en parte de Estados Unidos.”
Costa and von der Leyen said “La integridad territorial y la soberanía son principios fundamentales del derecho internacional,” adding “Nos solidarizamos plenamente con Dinamarca y el pueblo de Groenlandia.” From Copenhagen and Nuuk, Mette Frederiksen and Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a joint statement: “no puedes anexionarte otros países,” and they added “Groenlandia pertenece a los groenlandeses.”
Denmark forms government
While the Greenland dispute escalated, Denmark’s outgoing prime minister Mette Frederiksen formed a left-wing governing coalition, to present her new team after announcing Monday evening that she had managed to form it. France 24 said Frederiksen will present her program on Tuesday and the cabinet on Wednesday, which will be received by the king, and that the coalition would consist of the Social Democrats, the Socialist People’s Party (SF), De Radikale, and the Moderates.
The Moderates, led by outgoing Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, were described by 20 Minuten as winning 14 seats and playing the role of “kingmaker,” while the left bloc won 84 seats versus 77 for the right and far right. 20 Minuten also reported that Frederiksen presented her resignation to the king in the morning, and Rune Stubager said, “The most probable outcome is that she will remain prime minister,” while adding that it remains uncertain because Lars Løkke Rasmussen may also try to contend for the position.
NATO and European stakes
As Greenland and Denmark’s relationship with Washington remained central, Prensa Latina said the Danish prime minister asked NATO to prioritize the Arctic region and reported that they had received support on this matter. PPrensa Latina also said the Danish Armed Forces established temporary military districts in Greenland to store equipment, restricting access to those areas, and it framed the move as part of a strategy to assert sovereignty and presence in a zone of growing geopolitical and global economic interest.P
“‘Greenland is not Denmark's natural territory; it is artificial, a colonial conquest.”
In a separate Russian framing, Cadena SER quoted Sergei Lavrov saying, “Greenland is not Denmark's natural territory; it is artificial, a colonial conquest,” while also claiming “Washington knows perfectly well that Russia has no such plans.” CCadena SER added that Lavrov said NATO should reach an agreement on Greenland jointly within the alliance, and it described his view that the crisis opens debate “about the very continuity or the closure of NATO,” with Denmark having gathered support from partners within the Atlantic Alliance.C