Jeff Landry, who has publicly supported making the territory part of the United States, stated that he had received an invitation to the event
The organizers of Greenland’s top – notch dog sled race have declared that the presence of US President Donald Trump’s envoy Jeff Landry at the event would be “completely inappropriate,” and they have initiated an investigation into his alleged invitation. Landry has publicly supported Trump’s effort to include the Arctic island in the US.
In recent weeks, tensions regarding Trump’s claims on Greenland have intensified as he has become more insistent on stating that the territory is crucial for US national security and has hinted at the possible use of force to annex it.
On Sunday, he promised that the US would acquire Greenland “by one means or another,” suggesting that Denmark cannot stop him and referring to its defenses as “two dog sleds.” Media reports indicate that Trump ordered his aides to draft plans for a potential invasion.
Landry, who was appointed by Trump as his special envoy to Greenland in December, told Fox News Radio last week that he planned to attend the annual Avannaata Qimussersua dog sled race in March and take the opportunity to talk with locals about the advantages of closer ties with the US.
“I’m interested in having conversations with Greenlanders. Actually, I was invited to what I think is the world’s largest dogsled event that takes place in Greenland in March. I’m going,” Landry said.
In a Facebook statement on Tuesday, the Greenland Dog Sledding Association (KNQK) said it had no idea who issued the invitation and described Landry’s potential presence as “inappropriate” considering his public support for annexation.
“The KNQK Board deems it unacceptable that external political pressure is being applied and considers the participation of foreign political figures in Avannaata Qimussersua entirely inappropriate,” Chairman Mikkel Jeremiassen wrote, adding that he had ordered an internal investigation.
Landry has publicly referred to Denmark’s rule over Greenland as an “occupation” and encouraged the island to “assert its independence” to gain the US as an ally. His appointment as an envoy led Copenhagen to summon the US ambassador, seeing the move as a violation of diplomatic norms by treating Greenland as an independent entity rather than an autonomous Danish territory.
Denmark has condemned Trump’s remarks as a direct threat to its sovereignty. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens – Frederik Nielsen repeated on Tuesday that “Greenland will not become part of the US,” while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any US attempt to use military force to annex the island would mark the “end of NATO.”