"The World as a Buffet". Why does Trump need a special envoy to Greenland and how does it threaten Ukraine

"We expected it. We didn't know exactly what would happen, but we expected some kind of 'surprise' regarding Greenland before Christmas. A couple of weeks ago, at the NATO meeting in Washington, we were given clear signals about this," says LIGA.net carsten Honge, Vice President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, member of the Danish Folketing.Solution Donald Trump appoint Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry the decision to send a special envoy to the largest island on the planet to "annex" it to the United States undermines stability in the Arctic and directly affects Ukraine. We explain what to expect next.The 51st State Trap and Real Estate DiplomacyThe appointment of the governor of Louisiana, a state that the United States once bought from France, as special envoy to Greenland looks like a historical hint. Trump has made no secret of his desire to "buy" Greenland. However, the prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland in a joint statement on December 22, we reminded: "National borders are based on international law. You cannot annex another country."In Greenland, Trump is using the same logic as with Ukraine: appointing dedicated people for "special" tasks, Honge says.Steven Witkoff, for example, also has no experience in diplomacy or politics – he is just a real estate trader. There is a clear pattern here: Trump does not appoint politicians or diplomats, but those he likes and trusts.Former Deputy Assistant Secretary General of NATO Jamie Shea in a commentary for LIGA.net says that in his 38 years in the bloc, he has never seen the leader of the strongest country in the Alliance send a political envoy to an ally to "annex" its territory.Although, in his opinion, a possible exception is the dispute between Greece and Turkey over the ownership of several uninhabited rocks in the eastern Aegean Sea in the 1990s. The United Kingdom and Iceland also had disputes over fishing grounds in the North Atlantic in the 1970s.But those "territorial" disputes had been going on for a long time, and in those days the United States acted as a mediator and conciliator, but not as a destroyer and driver of tension, as it does now in the case of Greenland.Military blackmail and the law of forceThe United States is constantly changing its justifications for intervention, Shea emphasizes.Initially, the Americans said it was to increase military monitoring in the North Atlantic and Arctic because of the growing presence of Russia and China.Then they say they want to use Greenland's natural resources, such as oil, gas and precious metals. Later, they start complaining that Denmark allegedly cannot properly manage the island and think they can do a better job. At the same time, 85% of Greenland's local residents do not want to join the United States.Read alsoBlockade of the Caribbean Sea. How the United States and Venezuela came to the brink of war – three facts"The US already has all the rights to expand its military bases under the 1951 agreement. They do not need to own the island to defend it," says Carsten Honge.The situation escalated when the Minister of War Pete Hegseth in December 2025 did not rule out the use of force to "ensure US jurisdiction." In fact, this means turning Greenland into an "unsinkable aircraft carrier", ignoring the opinion of local residents."If Trump is allowed to take territory from another country, it will make any aggression by Putin in Ukraine more legitimate. It will make the right of force more important than the right," the Danish MP warns.He also doubts that the situation will really come to a military invasion. "The US does not need to attack Greenland militarily. We are a small country, and we have already given them access to bases. A direct attack would be pointless when they can get everything through pressure. I am not afraid of American tanks in Greenland. I am afraid of American checks."But even a symbolic encroachment on the borders of an ally is considered very harmful by European parliamentarians.If Trump is allowed to successfully take the territory of another country, the world will have no arguments against Putin's actions in Ukraine. The great powers will begin to perceive the world as a buffet, where they can simply pick and choose countries and eat them," the Danish parliamentarian says.Denmark and NATO tried to use the security issue to start a conversation with the United States about strengthening security in the Arctic. Denmark proposed to increase the number of warships and rotational forces in Greenland.But Trump seems more interested in strengthening the US military and economic presence on the island than in finding a multilateral solution."If Trump just continues with the tough rhetoric and takes symbolic steps, such as appointing an envoy or increasing diplomatic staff, Denmark and allies will try to resolve the crisis through economic investment and expanding military bases in Greenland," Shea said.Read alsoIn Greenland, we saw US imperialism. Naked and vain"Shadow Governor" and cash on the streets of Nuuk. What's nextThe most dangerous is the "hybrid" scenario, where Special Envoy Landry will act as a "shadow governor." Honge describes the US tactics as the methods of colonizers of the past centuries."You would not believe how they behave. Some of them were handing out cash, $100 bills right on the streets of Nuuk. This is a symbol of the 'colony master' who came to buy loyalty. It's a brazen attempt to create a 'fifth column' behind Copenhagen's back," says Honge.Jamie Shea emphasizes that if Landry starts funding local movements bypassing official channels, Copenhagen may take the unprecedented step of restricting his activities or even banning him from entering the country. This is a situation of an "insider threat" in NATO, for which the Alliance is not ready.According to Carsten Honge, in the future, the United States may blackmail Denmark with duties on medicines, its main export, to force it to "surrender" the island, or finance Greenlandic radicals who will demand immediate US protectorate for American money.US Ambassador Kenneth Howery's summons to the Danish Foreign Ministry is just the beginning. While Trump is trying to "trade" the island to fight China, Denmark is looking for support from the EU."Our only tool is to make this step so politically costly for the United States that it will abandon it," Honge summarizes. For Ukraine, this conflict is a critical signal: if NATO borders become "debatable," global security will finally turn into an auction.Read alsoScandal in the White House. Why Trump has the "character of an alcoholic" and Putin "wants all of Ukraine"

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