Canada is set to open its first diplomatic consulate in Greenland on Friday, a significant gesture of solidarity following former US President Donald Trump’s controversial threats to take control of the Arctic territory.
A senior Canadian delegation, including Governor General Mary Simon and Foreign Minister Anita Anand, is travelling to Nuuk to formally inaugurate the consulate, accompanied by a Canadian Coast Guard ship. Their visit coincides with a similar trip by French officials, who are set to open their own diplomatic post in the territory the same day.
Ahead of the trip, Simon said Canada “stands firmly in support of the people of Greenland who will determine their own future.”
The move marks a historic expansion of foreign engagement in Greenland. Until this week, only Iceland and the United States maintained formal consulates in Nuuk. The Canadian and French missions signal continued backing from NATO allies, following Trump’s repeated assertions that the US needed to “own” Greenland for national security reasons—a position he has since moderated after discussions with Denmark, European partners, and Canada.
Michael Myers, professor at the University of British Columbia and Arctic scholar, described the consulate as overdue. “I’m only surprised it hasn’t occurred sooner, given the important connections between Greenland and Arctic Canada,” he said, noting the proximity of Iqaluit in Nunavut, only an hour’s flight from Nuuk. “Her [Simon’s] visit is an affirmation at the highest level of the cultural and ethnic connections between Arctic Canada and Greenland. It’s a very powerful statement.”
Simon, who grew up in Nunavik, northern Quebec, is the first Canadian governor general to visit Greenland since 1982. She recalled that her connection to the Arctic began decades ago, listening as a child to Greenlandic Inuit songs on her grandmother’s shortwave radio. “She would say: ‘These are our relatives who live in faraway lands. We are all one people,’” Simon said at the Arctic Frontiers conference in Norway this week.
Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, said the consulate reflects years of advocacy by Canadian Inuit. Around 50 Inuit from Canada are flying on a chartered plane from Montreal to attend Friday’s ceremony. Obed highlighted the community’s concerns over US threats against Greenland, noting the shared history of colonisation: “We do worry that the United States may return to its more serious overtures around annexing Canada and Canada being the 51st state, and we do worry that Inuit Nunangat, our homeland, is one of the pivotal reasons for the US to consider that sentiment.”
Greenlanders and NATO allies have strongly opposed Trump’s proposal. He justified it by blaming Denmark for insufficiently protecting Greenland from Russian and Chinese influence and reportedly expressed similar concerns about Canada’s Arctic region.
Canada has long recognised the strategic importance of its northern regions. Infrastructure, including highways and electricity connections, remains limited, affecting both security and local communities. The government has pledged over C$1bn ($730m; £540m) for northern infrastructure and promised a year-round military presence.
Anand emphasised the priority of Arctic defence, saying last week: “It is not a secondary concern, it is not a regional issue, but central to how we protect Canada in our front yard and how we contribute to global security.”
During the visit, Simon will meet Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, while Anand will confer with her counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, reinforcing Canada’s commitment to cooperation and Arctic stability.
Boluwatife Enome
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