U.S. Envoy Says Washington Needs to Rebuild Presence in Greenland

U.S. special envoy to Greenland Jeff Landry said Wednesday that Washington needs to rebuild its presence on the Arctic island. Landry spoke during his first visit to Greenland since his appointment in December 2025. He told Agence France-Presse that the United States once operated 17 military facilities there during the Cold War but now maintains only the Pituffik base in the north.

"I think it's time for the US to put its footprint back on Greenland," Landry told AFP.

U.S. control of Greenland is vital to prevent China or Russia from gaining influence. Greenland lies on the shortest route for missiles between Russia and the United States. The island is also believed to hold untapped rare earth minerals and could become strategically important as polar ice melts and new shipping routes open.

Trump backed down from earlier threats to seize Greenland in January. -Danish-Greenlandic working group was then formed to address his concerns. Landry arrived in the capital Nuuk on Sunday without an official invitation. He met Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Foreign Minister Mute Egede on Monday. S. position.

In an interview with the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq, Landry suggested the United States could help Greenland achieve economic independence from Denmark. "I think there are some incredible opportunities that can actually lift Greenlanders from dependency to independence," he said. S.

" A 1951 defense pact, updated in 2004, allows the United States to increase troop deployments and military installations provided it informs Denmark and Greenland in advance.