Donald Trump has said the US “has to have” Greenland, claiming it needs the territory for national security.

It comes after the US president appointed Louisiana’s governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland, saying he would “lead the charge” in advocating the semi-autonomous part of Denmark to become part of the United States.

“Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our national security,” Mr Trump said.

“We need Greenland for national security, not for minerals… If you take a look ​at Greenland, you look up and down the coast, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.

“We need it for national security. We have to ‍have it… Greenland is a big deal.”

Why does Trump want Greenland?

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a joint statement that Greenland belongs to Greenlanders, stressing the US will not take it over.

“You cannot annex another country. Not even ‌with an argument about international security,” they said.

The country has already summoned the US ambassador in protest, with its foreign minister saying the move shows the US is still interested in the vast Danish territory.

Mr Trump has repeatedly called for the US to take over the mineral rich and strategically located Arctic island, since winning his second term, and has not ruled out using military force to achieve it.

Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said everyone – including the US – must show respect for Denmark’s territorial integrity.

How did we get here?

In March, US Vice President JD Vance visited a remote American military base in Greenland and accused Denmark – a NATO ally of the US – of underinvesting there.

The issue then gradually drifted out of the headlines but, in August, Danish officials again summoned the US ambassador – following a report that at least three people with connections to Mr Trump had carried out covert influence operations in Greenland.

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President Donald Trump has said America ‘needs’ Greenland for ‘international security’.

The territory’s strategic position between Europe and North America makes it a key site for the US ballistic missile defence system, while its mineral wealth has heightened US interest in reducing reliance on Chinese exports.

Earlier this month, the Danish Defence Intelligence Service said in an annual report that the US was using its economic power to “assert its will” and threaten military force against friend and foe alike.

Read more:
Head of US Greenland base sacked after criticising JD Vance
Denmark’s PM says ‘you can’t spy against an ally’

The report also highlighted the rising strategic importance of the Arctic to great power countries as “conflict between Russia and the West intensifies.

It went on to say that the growing security and strategic focus on the Arctic by the US would “further accelerate these developments”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is worried about NATO’s activities in the Arctic and will respond by strengthening its military capability in the polar region.

A Russian general being blown up on his own doorstep isn’t a good look for Moscow, and it seems it’s becoming increasingly common.

The latest high-profile figure to be assassinated since Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine is Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov.

He was killed by a car bomb that detonated outside a residential complex, little more than 10 miles from the Kremlin.

Ukraine war latest: Kremlin denies Putin plans to invade European countries

He was a senior figure. Head of the operational training directorate of the general staff, Sarvarov prepared forces for future deployment, having previously served in Chechnya and Syria.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Moscow believes Kyiv may have been behind it. No wonder – they’ve carried out similar attacks many times before.

This time last year, Ukraine took credit for the assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who Kyiv alleged had ordered chemical weapons to be used against its troops on the battlefield.

He was killed by a bomb hidden in a scooter outside his apartment block, which Vladimir Putin referred to as a “major blunder” by the security services.

But the attacks didn’t stop there.

In April, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed after a car exploded in a town just outside Moscow. And two months ago another car bomb in Siberia killed a Russian commander accused of committing war crimes.

It’s unclear why Sarvarov was targeted – perhaps simply because his rank and apparent vulnerability.

The timing appears significant. It follows the latest peace talks between US and Russian officials in Miami over the weekend, where Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev met with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

In the past, Ukraine has used these kinds of attacks to embarrass Moscow and to bring the war closer to home for Russians.

This time could be Kyiv’s way of undermining Moscow’s narrative in the negotiations.

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Trump’s Greenland envoy intends to make territory ‘a part of US’

The Kremlin has been trying to persuade the White House that a Russian victory is inevitable, and that it’s futile to support Ukraine, in the hope of securing a more preferential settlement.

Ukraine has been trying to convince the Trump administration of the opposite – that it’s still full of fight – and taking out Russian generals in their own backyard is one way of doing that.

It shows Washington that the Kremlin is clearly not in total control.

A new row over the future of Greenland has erupted between Denmark and the US after Donald Trump appointed a special envoy to the territory.

The US President announced that he had appointed Louisiana’s governor Jeff Landry to the position on Sunday, saying “Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security”.

Mr Landry then wrote on X: “It’s an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US.”

But Greenland is currently a semi-autonomous part of Denmark, which is unhappy about Trump’s latest move. The country has summoned the US ambassador in protest, with its foreign minister saying the move shows the US is still interested in the vast Danish territory.

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President Donald Trump has said America ‘needs’ Greenland for ‘international security’.

Trump has repeatedly called for the US to take over over the mineral rich and strategically located Arctic island, since winning his second term, and has not ruled out using military force to achieve it.

Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Landry’s comments were “completely unacceptable” and that everyone – including the US – must show respect for Denmark’s territorial integrity.

Greenland back in the headlines

In March, US Vice President JD Vance visited a remote American military base in Greenland and accused Denmark – a NATO ally of the US – of underinvesting there.

The issue then gradually drifted out of the headlines but, in August, Danish officials again summoned the US ambassador – following a report that at least three people with connections to Trump had carried out covert influence operations in Greenland.

On Sunday, Trump said: “Jeff [Louisiana’s governor] understands how essential Greenland is to our national security and will strongly advance our country’s interests for the safety, security, and survival of our allies, and indeed, the world.”

Earlier this month, the Danish Defence Intelligence Service said in an annual report that the US was using its economic power to “assert its will” and threaten military force against friend and foe alike.

Read more:
Head of US Greenland base sacked after criticising JD Vance
Denmark’s PM says “you can’t spy against an ally”

The report also highlighted the rising strategic importance of the Arctic to great power countries as “conflict between Russia and the West intensifies.

It went on to say that the growing security and strategic focus on the Arctic by the US would “further accelerate these developments”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is worried about NATO’s activities in the Arctic and will respond by strengthening its military capability in the polar region.