New American Ambassador to Denmark Marks His Arrival with Key Discussions on Trade and Greenland
Ken Howery, the newly appointed American ambassador to Denmark, arrived dressed in the attire of a diplomat ready for action. On Thursday, the former businessman and co-founder of PayPal attended a key meeting at Asiatisk Plads in Copenhagen, where he sat down with Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
“He’s someone we’ve been anticipating for quite a while, and it’s heartening to have him here,” Rasmussen remarked after their conversation. “It’s vital that there is a representative from Trump’s administration with whom we can communicate directly.”
The discussion between Howery and Rasmussen touched on several pertinent topics, including trade relations and the landscape of Danish investments in the United States. However, a significant part of their dialogue centered on Greenland—a region that has drawn considerable attention due to President Trump’s assertions that “the United States needs Greenland” for reasons of both national and international security.
While the issue remains pressing, Trump has notably refrained from making public comments about this purported need in recent times.
“I reiterated the essential boundaries of the Kingdom,” said Rasmussen. “We didn’t delve into the specifics of future cooperation between the United States, Denmark, and Greenland; that’s a conversation for our dedicated forums. If things proceed as planned, those forums should resume functioning come December.”
Rasmussen was alluding to the Permanent Committee and the Joint Committee, the latter of which dates back to 1951.
“We’re working to invigorate those discussions, as fostering good cooperation is essential. But these matters deserve the appropriate channels of discussion. If we’re to explore new collaboration between the United States and the Kingdom, including Greenland, Vivian Motzfeldt must be included—she is the Greenlandic Minister for Foreign Affairs,” he elaborated.
The absence of Motzfeldt also meant that Greenland’s future was not extensively covered in his talks with Howery.
“I’ve consistently stated our openness to a variety of collaborations, but it’s crucial to emphasize our red lines regarding the territorial integrity of the Kingdom. It would be remiss of me not to repeat that today,” Rasmussen affirmed, underscoring the importance of maintaining Denmark’s sovereignty amidst evolving international relations.