The United States Has Not Abandoned Its Expansionist Ambitions in Greenland
Published in RadioFrance
(France) on 21 May 2026
by Nicolas Teillard, Anne Soetemondt, Anne-Laure Jumet (link to
original)
Veto rights over investments, the reopening of military bases. ... During a visit to Nuuk, Donald Trump’s envoy, Jeff Landry, confirmed that U.S. ambitions in the strategically located Arctic territory remain intact.
Donald Trump’s special envoy, Jeff Landry, concluded his visit to Greenland on Wednesday, May 20, with these words: It is "time [for the U.S.] to put its footprint back [on it].”* With the war against Iran, it would be easy to believe that the U.S. president might have forgotten about Greenland, that he had given up on getting his hands on this Arctic territory at the edge of the world and its rare earth mineral deposits. That is not the case. The file remains at the top of the pile.
**Russia Is Prepared To Take “Countermeasures” in the Event of a “Militarization” of Greenland, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Warns
On Sunday, Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana and the White House special envoy, turned up unannounced in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. His agenda? “To make as many friends as possible.”* It didn’t get off to a good start. First, no Greenlandic official deemed it worthwhile to welcome his arrival. Then, making a quick trip to the hotel to get changed, he came back out wearing camouflage pants — an outfit that was the subject of extensive commentary and very little appreciation. On the same day, near a school, the elected Trump supporter handed out red “Make America Great Again” caps by the armful. Faced with a general lack of enthusiasm, he promised children who come to visit him in the United States “all the chocolate chip cookies [they] can eat.”* This prompted the frustrated comment from the prime minister: “We cannot be bought with cookies.”
No More Annexation, but Tantamount to Guardianship
Despite these missteps, or provocations, official meetings did take place, and Greenlanders realized that American ambitions hadn’t changed. The one tiny difference is that the United States is no longer talking of annexation, plain and simple. But its plan effectively boils down to placing this territory, today part of the Kingdom of Denmark, under U.S. guardianship.
According to The New York Times, Washington demands, for example, veto power over major investments, particularly those related to mineral mining. The Trump administration, which is in the process of reopening its old military bases, intends to keep troops stationed there indefinitely, even if Greenland eventually becomes independent. It would be a matter of “national security.” The territory must not fall into the hands of China or Russia. And that is what Landry means when he declares that his country must strengthen its presence in Greenland.
A Military Redeployment That Worries Europe
Jeff Landry also took advantage of his visit to inaugurate the new U.S. consulate. The glass-and-steel building is so imposing compared to the little wooden house in which it was previously located that Greenlanders already see it as the future headquarters of the U.S. administration — the day they will no longer have a say in their own affairs. “Greenland needs the United States,”* the envoy said on Wednesday evening before boarding his plane. He will have to do some convincing.
He will also have to reassure his European allies who are frowning at this military redeployment. The Trump administration is gathering strength in Greenland, yet at the same time, withdrawing 5,000 U.S. soldiers from Germany and giving up on deploying a contingent to Poland. All this comes as NATO’s eastern flank countries face Russian threats. The next NATO summit, in June in Turkey, will provide an opportunity for a big explanation.
*Editor’s note: These quotes, accurately translated, could not be independently verified.
Donald Trump’s special envoy, Jeff Landry, concluded his visit to Greenland on Wednesday, May 20, with these words: It is "time [for the U.S.] to put its footprint back [on it].”* With the war against Iran, it would be easy to believe that the U.S. president might have forgotten about Greenland, that he had given up on getting his hands on this Arctic territory at the edge of the world and its rare earth mineral deposits. That is not the case. The file remains at the top of the pile.
**Russia Is Prepared To Take “Countermeasures” in the Event of a “Militarization” of Greenland, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Warns
On Sunday, Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana and the White House special envoy, turned up unannounced in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. His agenda? “To make as many friends as possible.”* It didn’t get off to a good start. First, no Greenlandic official deemed it worthwhile to welcome his arrival. Then, making a quick trip to the hotel to get changed, he came back out wearing camouflage pants — an outfit that was the subject of extensive commentary and very little appreciation. On the same day, near a school, the elected Trump supporter handed out red “Make America Great Again” caps by the armful. Faced with a general lack of enthusiasm, he promised children who come to visit him in the United States “all the chocolate chip cookies [they] can eat.”* This prompted the frustrated comment from the prime minister: “We cannot be bought with cookies.”
No More Annexation, but Tantamount to Guardianship
Despite these missteps, or provocations, official meetings did take place, and Greenlanders realized that American ambitions hadn’t changed. The one tiny difference is that the United States is no longer talking of annexation, plain and simple. But its plan effectively boils down to placing this territory, today part of the Kingdom of Denmark, under U.S. guardianship.
According to The New York Times, Washington demands, for example, veto power over major investments, particularly those related to mineral mining. The Trump administration, which is in the process of reopening its old military bases, intends to keep troops stationed there indefinitely, even if Greenland eventually becomes independent. It would be a matter of “national security.” The territory must not fall into the hands of China or Russia. And that is what Landry means when he declares that his country must strengthen its presence in Greenland.
A Military Redeployment That Worries Europe
Jeff Landry also took advantage of his visit to inaugurate the new U.S. consulate. The glass-and-steel building is so imposing compared to the little wooden house in which it was previously located that Greenlanders already see it as the future headquarters of the U.S. administration — the day they will no longer have a say in their own affairs. “Greenland needs the United States,”* the envoy said on Wednesday evening before boarding his plane. He will have to do some convincing.
He will also have to reassure his European allies who are frowning at this military redeployment. The Trump administration is gathering strength in Greenland, yet at the same time, withdrawing 5,000 U.S. soldiers from Germany and giving up on deploying a contingent to Poland. All this comes as NATO’s eastern flank countries face Russian threats. The next NATO summit, in June in Turkey, will provide an opportunity for a big explanation.
*Editor’s note: These quotes, accurately translated, could not be independently verified.
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