So, Donald Trump decided to end 2025 by pushing America into a geopolitical nightmare

Get ready for a serious geopolitical dust-up, because President Trump just appointed a new special envoy whose stated goal is to annex Greenland. This isn’t some quiet diplomatic mission; it’s a massive, bold declaration of intent that’s already causing major international headaches. Jeff Landry, the sitting Republican Governor of Louisiana, is the person President Trump named to the volunteer position of special envoy to the autonomous Danish territory. Landry didn’t waste any time confirming his aggressive objective.

The Louisiana Governor took to the X on Sunday night, thanking the president and stating his clear purpose. Landry wrote, “Thank you @realDonaldTrump! It’s an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S. This in no way affects my position as Governor of Louisiana!” It’s wild that a sitting governor can take on a role with such explosive international implications, even if it is technically a volunteer position according to The Hill.

This is definitely going to raise some eyebrows, and frankly, it seems like a diplomatic nightmare waiting to happen. Unsurprisingly, the leaders of Denmark and Greenland immediately expressed intense concern over the announcement and the explicit goal of annexation. They issued a strong joint statement emphasizing that international law simply doesn’t allow one country to annex another.

Greenland will never be annexed

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, were clear about the fundamentals. They said in their statement, “We have said it before. Now, we say it again. National borders and the sovereignty of states are rooted in international law. They are fundamental principles.

You cannot annex another country because you want to. Not even with an argument about international security.” You can’t argue with that logic, and it shows just how serious they are about maintaining their sovereignty. This is a top-tier diplomatic defense, and it’s going to make Landry’s job incredibly difficult, if not impossible.

President Trump, for his part, believes the move is entirely justified by necessity. In his announcement post, the president argued that Landry “understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.”

This isn’t the first time the president has made a play for the massive Arctic island. During his first administration, President Trump famously floated the idea of purchasing Greenland outright. He continued to ramp up this rhetoric throughout his 2024 campaign, consistently arguing that the territory, which belongs to Denmark, is absolutely vital to U.S. national security interests.

The conversation about how the U.S. might acquire Greenland has been extremely tense. After taking office in January, the president did not rule out the use of military or economic force to gain control of the territory. While that rhetoric is incredibly alarming, Vice President Vance offered a slightly more tempered view after visiting the U.S. Space Force base located on the northwest coast of the Arctic island back in March. The Vice President indicated at the time that the U.S. is not likely to use military force to take over the territory.