The new U.S. ambassador to Denmark, PayPal co-founder Kenneth Howery, will meet with officials from Denmark and Greenland in Nuuk this week during his first visit to the Arctic island, amid renewed tensions over President Trump’s interest in acquiring the semi-autonomous territory.
Trump’s revived talk of taking Greenland from Denmark has strained relations between the two longtime allies.
“Excited to be in Greenland for the annual Joint Committee meeting between the U.S. and Greenland with Denmark,” the U.S. embassy said Monday on Instagram, posting a photo of Howery with Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt.
Greenland’s government said Saturday that the Joint Committee and Permanent Committee meetings — which rotate between Greenland and the U.S. — serve as a forum for civilian and military cooperation, including discussions about the American military presence on the strategically important island.
“These committee meetings are designed to promote direct dialog and cooperation with the United States on several areas of both civilian and military importance,” Motzfeldt said in a statement. “Trust and respect are the foundation of any partnership, and it is no secret that the past year has been challenging.”
Washington says Greenland, a Danish territory, is critical to U.S. security and its missile early-warning system, since the shortest route from Europe to North America runs over the island. But both Denmark and Greenland have rejected any idea of handing the resource-rich territory to the U.S., even as Denmark admits it has long neglected Greenland’s military needs.
Excited to be in Greenland for the annual Joint Committee meeting between the U.S. and Greenland with Denmark. pic.twitter.com/0irl5GZeKC
— Ambassador Kenneth A. Howery (@USAmbDenmark) December 8, 2025
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