Canada Sends Governor General Mary Simon and Foreign Minister to Greenland Amid Renewed U.S. Annexation Talk

Canada’s Indigenous Governor General Mary Simon and Foreign Minister Anita Anand will travel to Greenland in early February to formally open a Canadian consulate in Nuuk, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.

The trip comes after renewed comments from U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting the United States should take control of Greenland, the Inuit self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. The proposals sparked swift international pushback and renewed attention to Arctic sovereignty and security.

Visit and Diplomatic Message

Anand and Governor General Mary Simon, who is of Inuk descent, are expected to inaugurate the new Canadian consulate in Nuuk as a concrete sign of closer engagement with Greenlandic and Danish authorities.

“The future of Greenland and Denmark are decided solely by the people of Denmark,”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, takes part in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, at the Canadian Embassy in Paris, France, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

International Response and Sovereignty

Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom joined Denmark’s Frederiksen in publicly defending Greenland’s sovereignty after the U.S. comments. In a joint statement they reaffirmed that the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island “belongs to its people.”

Frederiksen and Trudeau were in Paris for multinational talks on Ukraine, and Trudeau made a point of meeting with Frederiksen and NATO’s secretary-general ahead of those sessions to discuss Arctic security and cooperation.

Security Concerns and Political Context

President Trump has argued the United States needs control of Greenland to protect NATO territory against perceived strategic threats from China and Russia in the Arctic. “It’s so strategic right now,” he told reporters.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said a takeover would make Greenland part of the United States, a proposal Frederiksen warned would risk the integrity of NATO.

FILE - Governor General of Canada Mary Simon speaks at the Invictus Games opening ceremony in Vancouver, Canada, Feb. 8, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Trudeau emphasized the importance of Arctic security within NATO while stressing respect for international law and the right of Greenlandic and Danish people to determine their own future. “We are making progress within NATO but we have to do more,” he said.

Why It Matters

Greenland—an island where roughly 80% of the landmass lies above the Arctic Circle—is home to about 56,000 people, most of whom are Inuit. The island’s strategic location and natural resources have elevated its geopolitical significance as melting ice opens new sea routes and access to mineral deposits.

Mary Simon, Canada’s first Indigenous governor general (appointed in 2021), previously served as Canada’s ambassador to Denmark. Her participation in the visit underscores Canada’s diplomatic and cultural connections to the North.

What’s next: The consulate opening in Nuuk is slated for early February and will be followed by diplomatic meetings aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, supporting Greenlandic self-determination, and coordinating Arctic security efforts within NATO.