Canada swipes at Trump’s Greenland ambitions as Maple Leaf raised on island
Canada opened a consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, signaling support for Greenland’s sovereignty adn its ties to Denmark, and pushing back against Donald trump’s stated ambitions to acquire the island. Canadian Foreign minister Anita Anand led the inauguration, raised the Canadian flag, and noted the move fits a broader foreign-policy agenda, with a plan to open another consulate in Anchorage, Alaska. Inuit leader Natan Obed argued that symbolism won’t move Trump and stressed the importance of self-determination and human rights for Greenland’s people. France also opened its consulate the same day, underscoring a European effort to reassure greenlanders amid fears of annexation and highlighting a broader Arctic alliance.The goodwill gestures come amid rising tensions over Greenland’s status, with allies seeking to counter unilateral pressure and reaffirm collaboration. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney used a Davos speech to hint at reducing dependence on the United States. Separately, the United States’ Special Envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, outlined possible deals to expand U.S. bases, infrastructure, and missile-defense capabilities, fueling concerns about increased U.S. influence in the Arctic.
Canada swipes at Trump’s Greenland ambitions as Maple Leaf raised on island
Canada opened a new consulate in Greenland on Friday and showed support for the Arctic island’s sovereignty and ties to Denmark, marking diplomatic pushback to President Donald Trump’s ambitions to acquire the island.
Natan Obed, president of Canada’s Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, used the grand opening to take a swipe at Trump and said the symbolism of the consulate wouldn’t resonate with the president.
“I’m not quite sure that Donald Trump is going to be at all moved by Canada opening a consulate here,” Obed said.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand presided over the inauguration in Nuuk, raising the Canadian flag outside the freshly established diplomatic mission and touting shared interests in environmental, security, and economic cooperation.
Anand said the consulate has been part of Canada’s foreign agenda for some time, adding that it also plans to open one in Anchorage, Alaska, according to reporting by Politico.
Additionally, Anand said the opening represents support for the people of Greenland.
“It also is a show of support for Greenlanders during a time in their long history, where they are feeling a sense of anxiety and concern,” Anand said.
France opened its consulate the same day, a move that paired with Canada’s opening, and underscores European and Canadian aims to reassure Greenlanders worried about a possible annexation.
The consulate openings signal a broader effort by like-minded countries to affirm the Arctic alliance and counter unilateral pressure.
Obed noted the cultural ties between Canada and Greenland’s Inuit indigenous peoples.
“I can’t even imagine, for the Inuit here from Greenland, what it is like to read about yourselves in the papers in such ways that are disrespectful and don’t follow the self-determination, the human rights, and the territorial autonomy that you have over your homeland,” Obed said.
The diplomatic expansion comes after more than a year of rising tension sparked by Trump’s vocal interest in Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark, which he has described as a vital U.S. national security interest and repeatedly suggested the U.S. should control.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently alluded to severing dependence on the U.S. in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Although he never called out Trump by name, Carney said the world system is in “a period of intensifying great power rivalry, where the most powerful pursue their interests using economic integration as a weapon of coercion.”
US SPECIAL ENVOY TO GREENLAND REVEALS KEY DETAILS ON NEW DEAL
In late 2025, Trump appointed Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) as a special envoy to Greenland, a largely symbolic post that drew sharp criticism from Danish and Greenlandic officials for implying Washington’s intent to alter the island’s status.
Landry disclosed possible deals between the U.S. and Greenland in January that would expand the U.S.’s “operational freedom, support new bases and infrastructure, facilitate deployment of advanced missile-defense systems like the Golden Dome and crowd out hostile Chinese and Russian influence.”
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