The American commissioner to Greenland, Jeff Landry, had not been officially invited, and his presence has sparked controversy on site. In an interview published on Wednesday, May 20, he called for the Greenlanders to “move from dependence to independence.”
The American commissioner to Greenland, a vast Arctic region coveted by President Donald Trump, stated on Wednesday, May 20, to AFP that the United States should strengthen its presence in this autonomous Danish territory.
“I think it’s time for the United States to make its mark on Greenland. I think you see the president talking about strengthening national security operations and allocating personnel to certain bases in Greenland,” said Jeff Landry.
“Greenland needs the United States,” added the commissioner at the end of his first visit, which began on Sunday, to Greenland since his appointment in December 2025.
Jeff Landry, who is also the Republican governor of the southern American state of Louisiana, had not been officially invited, and his presence has sparked controversy on site.
Bases militaires, terres rares…
The American military currently only has one base in Greenland, Pituffik, in the north, compared to 17 military installations at the height of the Cold War.
Donald Trump has repeatedly supported the view that the United States should control Greenland for national security reasons, stating that otherwise, this territory could fall into the hands of China or Russia.
Greenland is located on the shortest route between Russia and the United States for missiles. It holds untapped deposits of rare earth elements and could play a crucial role as polar ice melts and new maritime routes emerge.
Washington wants to open three new bases in the south of the island, according to recent newspaper articles. A defense pact from 1951, updated in 2004, allows the United States to deploy more troops and strengthen their military installations in Greenland, provided they inform Denmark and Greenland in advance.
Donald Trump reversed his threats to seize Greenland in January, and an American-Danish-Greenlandic working group was established to address his concerns.
“Obliged to find a solution”
“Even if the desire of the ‘master’ to ‘secure control of Greenland (…) is completely disrespectful, (…) we are obliged to find a solution,” said Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Tuesday in front of journalists, on the sidelines of an economic forum on Greenland.
He met with the American commissioner on Monday, who also met with the Greenland Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mute Egede.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated that the discussions were “constructive,” but emphasized that there were “no signs (…) that anything has changed” in the US position.
Greenlandic and Danish authorities have repeatedly emphasized that only Greenland can decide its future. In an interview published on Wednesday by the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq, Jeff Landry tried to revive hopes for independence in this territory.
While polls show that the majority of Greenlanders are in favor of independence from Denmark in the future, their government does not have an immediate plan in that regard as many questions remain unanswered, especially regarding the economy of this island, which is heavily dependent on Denmark.
“I think there are incredible opportunities that could allow the Greenlanders to move from dependence to independence,” Mr. Landry emphasized in the interview he gave.
