U.S. Opens New Consulate in Nuuk as Hundreds of Greenlanders Protest

The United States opened a new consulate in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Thursday, and hundreds of demonstrators turned out to protest President Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring the island, according to NBC News and Al Jazeera. Protesters chanted “No means no,” the two outlets reported, and NBC News said hecklers shouted “Don’t come here.”

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, told the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq that he would not take part in the opening of the consulate’s new premises, Anadolu Agency reported. He said he had not made a formal decision, but would not attend. Sermitsiaq reported that many invited guests had declined the consulate’s reception because of the political climate, according to Anadolu. Greenlandic lawmaker Naaja H. Nathanielsen wrote on Facebook that “the situation between our countries is difficult right now.”

The consulate’s opening coincided with the first visit to Nuuk by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, whom Mr. Trump named as his special envoy to Greenland, NBC News reported. Mr. Landry said the president had told him to “make as many friends as we can get” NBC News reported. He met Mr. Nielsen for what the prime minister called a courtesy meeting, held, in Mr. Nielsen’s words, in a respectful and positive atmosphere. Mr. Nielsen reiterated that Greenland is “not for sale,” NBC News said. A White House spokeswoman said Mr. Landry was there to “further strengthen U.S.-Greenlandic ties and engage with local leaders,” NBC News reported.

The visit drew sharp criticism in Greenland. Pipaluk Lynge, who chairs the parliament’s foreign and security policy committee, called it “a clear attempt to divide us,” NBC News reported. Mr. Landry was accompanied by a U.S. doctor who was to assess the island’s medical needs, which Greenlandic officials criticized; Health Minister Anna Wangenheim said “Greenlanders are not experimental subjects in a geopolitical project,” according to NBC News. Mr. Landry’s offer of cookies to children if they visited his residence in Louisiana was called “offensive” by Ms. Lynge, NBC News reported.

Public opinion on the island is lopsided. NBC News cited a February poll by researcher Sune Steffen Hansen in which 76 percent of Greenlanders opposed annexation by the United States and 8 percent supported it. A 2025 survey found 56 percent favored independence from Denmark, and a February survey found 62 percent wanted to remain part of Denmark, NBC News reported.

The island’s strategic position is central to the dispute: Anadolu described Greenland as a semi-autonomous Danish territory that is rich in natural resources and strategically located in the Arctic, and NBC News noted the United States has had a military base there since 1951. NBC News reported that Mr. Trump has backed away from explicit threats to use force but has not dropped his interest in the island, and that Greenland, Denmark and U.S. negotiators are holding closed-door talks, with one reported proposal to expand the American military presence.