Image Credentials: Image Title: “We Have to Have It”: Trump Appoints Special Envoy in Renewed Push to Annex Greenland Source: (sora.openai) Date: December 2025. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (sora.openai) and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies| December 23, 2025
NUUK, Greenland — U.S. President Donald Trump has officially reignited his controversial ambition to acquire Greenland, appointing Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a “Special Envoy” to lead the annexation effort. The move, announced Sunday via Truth Social, has plunged relations between the U.S. and its NATO ally, Denmark, to a historic low.
“Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security,” Trump stated during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Monday. “We need it for national protection. We have to have it.”
The appointment of Governor Landry, who described the role as a “volunteer position” to “make Greenland a part of the U.S.,” coincides with a legislative push in Washington. Representative Buddy Carter (R-GA) recently introduced the “Red, White, and Blueland Act of 2025,” which would formally authorize negotiations to purchase the territory and rename it after the American flag.
In 2025, the U.S. interest in Greenland has shifted from a Cold War territorial strategy to a modern “Resource and Security Race.” While the 1946 offer was a post-WWII move focused on military positioning against the Soviet Union, the current proposal, often referred to by proponents as the “Red, White, and Blueland” plan, is driven by a desperate need for rare earth minerals to break China’s global monopoly.
Comparison: 1946 vs. 2025 Proposal
| Feature | 1946 Offer (Truman) | 2025 Proposal (Trump) |
| Price | $100 Million ($1.5B+ adjusted) | Undisclosed “Real Estate Deal” / Negotiated Buyout |
| Primary Goal | Cold War Containment: Setting up bomber bases and radar to monitor the USSR. | Economic Security: Securing rare earth minerals and countering Chinese investment. |
| Scientific Context | Establishment of “Camp Century” (Nuclear ice base) and Thule Air Base. | Focus on melting ice caps, opening new Arctic shipping lanes, and mining access. |
| Local Stance | Managed by Denmark, Greenland had little say. | 85% Opposition: Greenlandic leaders demand respect for sovereignty . |
Greenland’s Strategic “New Gold” (Rare Earths)
The 2025 push is largely centered on a “geographical freak of nature”: the Kvanefjeld (Kuannersuit) deposit in Southern Greenland.
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Global Monopoly: Currently, China controls 95% to 97% of the world’s rare earth supply chain.
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Military Necessity: These minerals are essential for manufacturing fighter jets, missiles, and satellites.
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The “Australian Connection”: An Australian mining company, Energy Transition Minerals (ETM), has identified over a billion tons of rare earth minerals in Greenland, valued at roughly $11 billion USD.
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The Uranium Barrier: A major hurdle in 2025 is the Greenlandic government’s ban on uranium mining, as rare earths are often found alongside radioactive elements, leading to a legal standoff between miners and the local population.
Geopolitical “Security Circle”
From a defense perspective, U.S. advisors view Greenland as a 1,200-mile buffer to the American homeland. The buildup is intended to prevent Russia and China from gaining a “foothold” in the Arctic as the region becomes more navigable
While the “real estate deal” was mocked when first proposed in 2019, the geopolitical landscape of 2025 has provided new urgency for the Trump administration:
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Arctic Defense: With melting ice opening new maritime passages, Trump cited the presence of Russian and Chinese vessels along Greenland’s coast as an “absolute necessity” for U.S. intervention.
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Mineral Wealth: Greenland holds vast reserves of rare earth minerals (like neodymium and praseodymium) essential for high-tech defense systems. Control over these would break China’s current global monopoly.
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Pituffik Space Base: Formerly Thule Air Base, this site is the northernmost U.S. military installation. It houses a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) that is the first line of defense against any transpolar nuclear strike.
“A lot of other countries have threatened Greenland… we’re going to check out how things are going there,” Vice President JD Vance said during a visit to Pituffik in March 2025.
Diplomatic Backlash and Sovereignty
The response from Copenhagen and Nuuk has been swift and severe. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen announced on Monday that he would summon the U.S. Ambassador for an explanation, calling the envoy’s appointment “completely unacceptable.”
| Leader | Reaction |
| Mette Frederiksen (Danish PM) | “Greenland is not for sale… National borders are rooted in international law.” |
| Jens-Frederik Nielsen (Greenlandic PM) | “This changes nothing. We decide our own future. Greenland belongs to Greenlanders.” |
| Ursula von der Leyen (EU Commission) | “Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles.” |
The NATO Conflict
Because Greenland is a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, it is covered by NATO’s Article 5. Trump’s refusal to rule out “military force” to secure the island has raised the alarming possibility of the U.S. triggering a conflict with its own allies. Despite the pressure, local polls show that 85% of Greenlanders oppose joining the United States, viewing the American interest as a threat to their self-determination.