On May 20 (London time), according to The Guardian and AFP, US special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, said it was time for the US to "stamp its feet back" on this Arctic island.
I think it's time for the US to return to Greenland," Mr. Landry said in an interview with AFP.
Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, located in the Arctic region and has an important strategic position between the US and Russia. This island is also said to possess many rare earth minerals and play an increasingly important role as shipping routes in the Arctic gradually open due to ice melting.
For many years, the US has maintained the Pituffik military base in Greenland. According to some media sources, Washington is currently considering opening new military facilities in this area.
Mr. Landry said the US wants to strengthen security cooperation with Greenland and emphasized that Washington considers the Arctic region an important part of its defense strategy.
His statement was made in the context that US President Donald Trump has recently repeatedly mentioned Greenland in statements related to national security and geopolitical competition.
However, Mr. Landry's visit also caused some controversy in Greenland because he was not officially invited by the local authorities.
Greenland Chief Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen said that the exchanges with the US side were "constructive", but emphasized that there is no sign that Washington's stance has changed significantly.
Greenland and Danish authorities have repeatedly affirmed that the future of the island will be decided by the people of Greenland.
In an interview with the Greenland newspaper Sermitsiaq, Mr. Landry also mentioned the possibility that Greenland could develop a more independent economy in the future.
According to him, Greenland has great potential in terms of resources and development opportunities if it attracts more international investment.
The US special envoy's visit also attracted attention when he went with a doctor to survey the health system in Greenland. Greenland Health Minister Anna Wangenheim said that cooperation activities should be carried out on the basis of respect for local people.
Currently, the US has not released more information about specific plans related to Greenland in the near future.
