WASHINGTON, January 12. /TASS/. Danish Ambassador to the US Jesper Moller Sorensen has responded to a statement by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Greenland, Jeff Landry, who earlier declared that the kingdom had "re-occupied" Greenland after World War II, allegedly bypassing UN norms.
"Yes, history does matter. The Kingdom of Denmark has always stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the US. After 9/11, Denmark answered the US' call. We lost more soldiers in Afghanistan per capita than any other NATO ally. Facts matter too: Greenland has been a part of the Kingdom of Denmark for centuries. That has repeatedly been recognized by US administrations, in the UN, and internationally," the ambassador wrote on X.
He also stressed that only the people of Greenland have the right to determine their future. The diplomat noted that the overwhelming majority of Greenlanders have chosen the path of autonomy within the kingdom. "This week, all five parties in the Parliament of Greenland repeated they don't want to become part of the United States," Sorensen added.
The envoy further said that Denmark, Greenland, and the US have successfully cooperated in the Arctic on security issues over the past 80 years and called for the continuation of constructive talks in this area on the basis of partnership and alliance.
Landry had earlier stated that Denmark reoccupied Greenland after World War II in violation of UN norms. "History matters. The US defended Greenland’s sovereignty during WWII when Denmark couldn’t. After the war, Denmark re-occupied it - side stepping and ignoring UN protocol," Landry wrote on X.
Greenland dispute
On December 21, Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as US Special Envoy for Greenland. After his designation, Landry announced on X that he would seek to annex the island to the United States. This triggered a diplomatic scandal in Denmark, prompting the US ambassador to be summoned to the Foreign Ministry.
Last year, on March 13, Trump expressed confidence that his country would annex Greenland. On March 4, he said he would approve the island’s decision to join the United States. The US president has repeatedly stated that Greenland should join the US and has threatened to impose high trade tariffs on Denmark if it did not relinquish the island. During his first presidential term, Trump offered to buy Greenland, but the Danish and Greenlandic authorities rejected the proposal.
Greenland is part of Denmark as an autonomous territory. In 1951, Washington and Copenhagen signed the Greenland Defense Agreement in addition to their NATO alliance obligations. Under the treaty, the US undertook to defend the island against possible aggression.