MAY 18, 2026

Greenland's Prime Minister Tells U.S. Envoy That Self-Determination Is Not Negotiable

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen met with U.S. special envoy to the Arctic, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, in Nuuk. Nielsen said the meeting was respectful and positive, but stated clearly that Greenlandic self-determination is not open to negotiation. Greenland is a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and the U.S. has pressed for a greater role on the island citing national security concerns.

Prime Minister Nielsen told reporters after his meeting with Landry that "the Greenlandic people are not for sale" and that self-determination "is not something that can be negotiated," according to Danish TV 2. Nielsen also said his people "seek good cooperation" with the United States, and described the session with Landry as having taken place "with mutual respect and in a positive atmosphere."

Landry said upon his arrival in Greenland on Sunday that President Trump had told him to "go over there and make as many friends as we can get," according to public Danish broadcaster DR. U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Ken Howery also traveled with the American delegation. Both Landry and Howery were expected to attend a business fair in Nuuk on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Howery was set to inaugurate a new U.S. Consulate office in the capital, according to local media reported by AP.

Greenland's Foreign Minister Múte B. Egede, who also participated in the meeting, said a working group involving the U.S., Greenland, and Denmark continues to seek a resolution to American demands for greater control over the island. Egede said the work in the group appears "more promising" than before, and that Greenland has not been "the ones creating obstacles to cooperation," according to TV 2.