U.S. President Donald Trump reignited geopolitical tensions this week by declaring America "needs Greenland for national security" and appointing a special envoy to pursue the Arctic territory. The move drew swift condemnation from European leaders as 2025 closes with renewed focus on polar resources.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, named Sunday as Trump’s Arctic envoy, will reportedly spearhead efforts to bring the mineral-rich Danish territory under U.S. control. "We have to have it," Trump told reporters in Florida, framing the push as critical for reducing reliance on foreign mineral exports.
Nordic Resistance Intensifies
Danish PM Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen fired back: "You cannot annex another country… Greenland belongs to Greenlanders." The EU joined the fray, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowing to defend "territorial integrity" in the Arctic.
Tensions escalated further as Trump suspended offshore wind projects involving Danish energy giant Ørsted – seen by analysts as economic retaliation. Meanwhile, Greenland’s 57,000 residents face renewed debates about their future under a 2009 self-rule agreement.
With melting ice opening new shipping routes, this frosty diplomatic standoff shows no signs of thawing. ❄️⚡
