Summary: Jeff Landry, who was appointed last year by President Donald Trump as a special envoy focused on Greenland, arrived in Nuuk on May 17. He is scheduled to participate in the 'Future Greenland' business conference on May 19-20 and will be joined by the U.S. ambassador to Denmark, Kenneth Howery. The visit occurs while Greenland, Denmark and the United States continue high-level diplomatic discussions to address tensions related to U.S. interest in the island.
Local media and public broadcaster coverage showed footage of Landry disembarking from a plane after his arrival in Nuuk. Landry, the governor of Louisiana, has previously supported the president's aim of bringing Greenland under U.S. control - an objective that has been met with firm opposition from both Greenlandic and Danish authorities, who have repeatedly stated that Greenland is not for sale.
The business conference he plans to attend is organised by Business Greenland and runs from May 19 to May 20. Business Greenland has said it did not extend a specific invitation to Landry but that the conference is open to anyone who registers. The U.S. ambassador to Denmark, Kenneth Howery, is expected to accompany Landry to the event.
The U.S. embassy in Copenhagen said earlier this week that Landry and Howery "would meet with a wide range of Greenlanders to listen and learn with a goal of expanding economic opportunities, building people-to-people ties, and increasing understanding between the United States and Greenland". That description frames the visit as focused on engagement and economic outreach rather than formal political negotiations.
At the same time, officials in Greenland, Denmark and the United States agreed earlier this year to hold high-level diplomatic negotiations in an effort to calm the crisis prompted by U.S. interest in the territory. The outcome of those ongoing talks has not yet been presented.
Greenland's prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said earlier this week that an increased U.S. military presence is part of the subjects being discussed with Washington. As of Landry's arrival, no official meetings with Greenlandic politicians have been confirmed for his visit.
Contextual notes: The trip brings to Nuuk a U.S. delegation described by the embassy as listening-focused and aimed at economic engagement. Simultaneously, diplomatic channels remain active among the three governments involved, with key outcomes still pending.