The US is facing protests in Greenland’s capital as a new consulate opening fuels concerns over Washington’s designs for the island.
The US will inaugurate a new consulate building in Nuuk on May 21, its first in Greenland since the 1950s. It marks a more permanent American presence on the Arctic island, where unease has grown since US President Donald Trump revived talk of acquiring the territory. Protests are planned later in the day.
The facility is aimed at bringing the US and Greenland “closer”, said US ambassador to Denmark Kenneth Howery, speaking at the Future Greenland conference in Nuuk on May 20. While the US re-established its diplomatic presence in Nuuk in 2020, American officials have until now been housed at facilities run by Denmark’s military.
“This basically shows the level of our commitment over the long term to Greenland,” Mr Howery said. The space will host official visits, business delegations and cultural events, while supporting visiting Americans and offering visa services to Greenlanders, he added.
It comes the same week Mr Trump’s newly appointed envoy to Greenland Jeff Landry visited Nuuk on a closely watched trip that reignited worries over Washington’s intentions for the island.
Mr Landry has said he plans to brief Mr Trump on May 21 on potential business opportunities in the territory. BLOOMBERG
