by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
NUUK, GREENLAND (Worthy News) – The U.S. special envoy to Greenland suggested Wednesday that Washington could still seek greater control over the Arctic island, saying it was time for the United States “to put its footprint back” on Greenland.
Jeff Landry, who also serves as Louisiana’s Republican governor, made the remarks during his first visit to the Danish autonomous territory since being appointed special envoy in December 2025.
“What I’ve found is that Greenland was not on a map until Donald Trump put it on a map,” Landry said in comments posted on social media platform X. “The United States, before Donald Trump, had basically ignored this place.”
Landry credited Trump with bringing new attention to Greenland and argued that closer ties with Washington could create economic opportunities for Greenlanders and reduce their dependence on Denmark.
GREENLAND STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
President Donald J. Trump has repeatedly argued that the United States should control Greenland because of its strategic military importance and concerns that China or Russia could expand influence in the Arctic region.
Greenland sits on the shortest missile route between Russia and the United States and is believed to contain vast untapped rare-earth mineral resources. Melting Arctic ice is also opening potential new shipping lanes.
“I think it’s time for the U.S. to put its footprint back on Greenland,” Landry told Agence France-Presse. “Greenland needs the U.S.”
At the height of the Cold War, the United States operated 17 military facilities in Greenland. Today it maintains only the Pituffik Space Base in the island’s far north. Media reports say Washington is considering opening three additional bases in southern Greenland.
TRUMP GREENLAND POLICY
Trump earlier softened threats to seize Greenland after diplomatic tensions with Denmark, leading to the creation of a joint U.S.-Danish-Greenlandic working group to address security concerns.
However, Landry’s visit stirred controversy because Greenland’s government did not formally invite him. Greenlandic and Danish leaders have repeatedly insisted that only Greenlanders can decide the island’s future.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said talks with the U.S. envoy were “constructive,” but stressed there was “no sign” that Washington had changed its overall position.
In an interview with Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq, Landry also expressed hope for eventual independence from Denmark, saying Greenland had “incredible opportunities” to become economically self-sufficient.
HEALTHCARE VISIT CONTROVERSY
Additional controversy emerged after Landry arrived with a U.S. doctor who said he was assessing Greenland’s medical needs.
Greenland Health Minister Anna Wangenheim sharply criticized the move, saying: “Greenlanders are not guinea pigs in a geopolitical project.”
Denmark and Greenland had earlier rejected a Trump administration proposal to send a U.S. naval hospital ship to the island.
While opinion polls suggest most Greenlanders favor eventual independence from Denmark, residents of the island home toabout 57,000 people, remain cautious about rapid change because Greenland’s economy still depends heavily on Danish financial support. Critics of the current government say leaders must balance growing foreign interest in Greenland’s strategic location and natural resources with protecting the island’s sovereignty, culture, and social stability.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Israel expanded its military campaign against Hezbollah on Monday, striking more than 70 targets across Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to increase pressure on the Iranian-backed terror group following a sharp rise in drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel.
A federal appeals court is weighing whether Kansas City can use its public accommodation ordinance to require Christian counselors to counsel gay married couples despite the counselors’ biblical convictions on marriage and sexuality.
Tens of thousands of evangelical Christians gathered in the Netherlands for one of Europe’s largest multi-day Christian events, with organizers and participants expressing hopes for spiritual revival in the nation and across Europe.
President Donald Trump pushed back Monday against sharp criticism from Republicans and former administration officials over a potential U.S.-Iran agreement, insisting that any final accord must prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or it will not be signed.
President Donald Trump said Monday that countries involved in negotiations over Iran should be required to join the Abraham Accords, signaling that the White House is seeking to turn a possible Iran agreement into a wider regional realignment that includes normalization with Israel.
Tensions remained high in Serbia’s capital Belgrade on Sunday after at least tens of thousands of people demanded elections and rallied against what they view as the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Aleksandar Vučić, with violence erupting after the protest and more than 20 people arrested.
Investigations were ongoing Sunday into the killing of three senior Kuki-Thadou Christian church leaders by unidentified gunmen in India’s northeastern Manipur State, Christian investigators told Worthy News.