Affirm Territorial Sovereignty, Finland-Sweden Support Denmark on US Envoy to Greenland

JAKARTA - Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen expressed support for Denmark after the United States (US) appointed a special envoy for Greenland.

Valtonen stressed that the decision to question Denmark and Greenland must be determined by the two parties concerned.

Last week, US President Donald Trump announced the appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as the US Special Envoy to Greenland.

Landry again conveyed the US' intention to make the island part of its territory.

In response, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen expressed surprise at Landry's statement and promised to summon the US Ambassador to Denmark to seek clarification on the matter.

"It is clear that matters concerning Denmark and Greenland are for Denmark and Greenland to decide," Valtonen wrote on the X platform.

Valtonen also reminded Denmark of its strong allies in Afghanistan and Iraq, who suffered heavy losses and faced the threat of terrorism due to their involvement in US military operations in both countries.

Similar support was conveyed by Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard. He called for respect for Denmark's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"The issues concerning Denmark and Greenland are to be decided by Denmark and Greenland. Sweden fully stands behind its neighbor in this issue and will always defend international law. The obligation to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is a fundamental principle of international law," Stenergard wrote on X.

Trump has repeatedly stated that Greenland should be part of the United States on the grounds of strategic interests for national security and the defense of the "free world", including China and Russia.

Former Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede has insisted the island is not for sale and will never be sold.

The US president also refused to provide assurances that he would not use military force to take control of Greenland.

Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953. The territory is still part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but gained autonomous status in 2009 with the authority to govern itself and determine its domestic policies.