President Trump’s envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, seeks dialogue, not conquest

President Donald Trump’s new envoy to Greenland said Tuesday the administration wants to open a dialogue with the territory’s residents, emphasizing that the United States is not seeking to “conquer” the island.

During an appearance on Fox News’ “The Will Cain Show,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who was named special envoy to Greenland by Trump on Sunday, said discussions need to be had with the Greenlanders to understand what they want for the future.

“What are they looking for? What opportunities haven’t they had? Why haven’t they gotten the protection they really deserve?” Landry said.

Landry added that the United States “has always been a welcoming party” and that the Trump administration was not going to “go out there trying to conquer anyone” or “take over anyone’s country.”

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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, right, was recently named envoy to Greenland by President Donald Trump. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Landry’s comments come after Danish leaders sharply criticized Trump after he announced the appointment of the new special envoy to Greenland, a territory controlled by Denmark.

“We have said it before. Now we say it again. National borders and state sovereignty are anchored in international law,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a joint statement on Monday. “These are fundamental principles. You cannot annex another country. Not even with a debate on international security.”

Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday that Landry “understands how critical 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.”

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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, right, has been named U.S. envoy to Greenland. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

On Tuesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called Trump’s comments “completely unacceptable”, adding that he would summon the US ambassador.

The Danish kingdom, he wrote on Facebook, is “sovereign and cannot accept others questioning it”.

Trump has previously expressed ambition for the United States to acquire Greenland, posting on Truth Social in December 2024 that “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for national security purposes.

President Donald Trump’s new envoy to Greenland said Tuesday that the administration wants to open a dialogue with the territory’s residents and that the United States is not seeking to “conquer” the island. (Léon Neal/Getty Images; Allison Robbert/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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In another post from January 2025, Trump said Greenland is an “amazing place” and its people “will benefit enormously if, and when, they become part of our nation,” before declaring, “LET’S MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”

Fox News Digital has contacted the White House for comment.

Alex Nitzberg of Fox News Digital and the Associated Press contributed to this report.