U.S. and Greenland pledge ‘mutual respect’ as ambassador visits Nuuk amid Trump’s interest in buying island
The United States and Greenland pledged to rebuild ties on the basis of “mutual respect” as Washington’s new ambassador to Denmark made his first visit to the Arctic island, a diplomatic outreach that follows President Donald Trump’s public interest in acquiring the semi-autonomous territory.
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Ambassador Kenneth Howery, a co-founder of PayPal who recently took up his post in Copenhagen, met in Nuuk with Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and Danish government representatives at the U.S.-Greenland Joint Committee, a regular forum that addresses the American military presence and other bilateral issues.
“We reaffirmed our commitment to a strong and forward-looking relationship based on mutual respect,” the committee said in a joint statement.
Motzfeldt said earlier that recent U.S. comments about Greenland had fueled uncertainty among residents and underscored the need for frank dialogue with Washington. “Our country and the United States have cooperated for 80 years based on common interests. There is a need to restore trust so we can continue good cooperation,” she said.
Relations between Denmark, which retains sovereignty over Greenland, and its longtime ally have been strained since Trump revived the idea of transferring control of the island from Denmark to the United States — a proposal that met firm resistance in Copenhagen and across Greenland.
Washington argues that Greenland is vital to U.S. security and its ballistic missile early-warning system, noting the island’s strategic position along the shortest route between Europe and North America. The outreach in Nuuk signals an effort to steady the relationship while acknowledging the island’s growing geopolitical profile in the Arctic.
Both the Danish and Greenland governments have ruled out ceding the resource-rich island to U.S. control. Danish officials have also acknowledged shortcomings in the territory’s defense posture, even as they emphasize the importance of close cooperation with the United States on security and economic development.
Howery’s visit, his first to Greenland since becoming ambassador, placed renewed focus on practical cooperation through the joint committee, which has long served as a channel for addressing defense, development and community concerns. Officials from Nuuk and Copenhagen framed the meeting as an opportunity to reset the tone and keep the partnership focused on shared interests in the Arctic.
The pledge of “mutual respect” reflects attempts by all sides to contain the fallout from political tensions and return attention to day-to-day coordination. For Greenland, that means engaging the United States as a critical security partner while safeguarding its autonomy. For Washington, it means reinforcing alliances in a region seen as increasingly strategic.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
