Ambassador Designate Howery standing on the tarmac at Copenhagen Airport immediately after arriving in Denmark. Source: U.S. Embassy & Consulate in the Kingdom of Denmark.
He was asked five times, but the new U.S. ambassador Ken Howery refuses to deny Trump’s plans for ownership of Greenland.
“I will repeat what the president has said, namely that the U.S. respects the right of the Greenlandic people to determine their own future. He has also said that he remains focused on the security of the U.S.,” the U.S. ambassador said again and again.
Ken Howery
Not everyone meets the king on their first day of work, but dressed in his finest suit, 50-year-old Ken Howery was in audience with King Frederik at Christiansborg Palace on November 5.
Ken Howery is an American businessman and dollar billionaire. In the 00s, he founded the PayPal payment service with, among others, Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, and during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, he was ambassador to Sweden.
Nervous On His First Day
Nevertheless, Ken Howery appeared slightly nervous on his first day on the job when he met the press in front of the palace after the royal courtesy visit.
Here, a press officer came to the ambassador’s rescue, as the first question was, not surprisingly, about the United States’ plans for Greenland.
“He doesn’t have time for questions right now,” the ambassador said before leaving Prins Jørgens Gård.
A few hours later, both DR and TV 2 took turns interviewing Ken Howery, and had the opportunity to ask about the American plans for Greenland.
— Is it your job to ensure that the United States gets Greenland?
— I want to repeat what the president has said, namely that the United States respects the right of the Greenlandic people to determine their own future. He has also said that he continues to focus on U.S. security, especially in light of the increasing aggressive behavior of both Russia and China in the region, Ken Howery replied.
— I must refer to what the president has said…
During the year, both President Trump and his Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, have refused to reject military intervention and U.S. annexation of Greenland.
Therefore, DR now gave the new ambassador the chance to reassure the Greenlanders.
— Will you take the opportunity here today to assure the Greenlandic people that the U.S. will not take Greenland by force?
— I would like to refer to the president’s statement when he emphasised the importance of the Greenlanders’ future being up to them to decide. And I very much look forward to working with my colleagues in the Danish government on our shared concerns about security in the Arctic, Ken Howery replied.
— So Greenland will never be taken by force by the U.S.. Should we understand it this way?
— Again, I must refer to what the president has said earlier.
— Now I ask once again on behalf of the Greenlandic people: Is it correct that the United States will not take Greenland by force?
— Again, I must refer to what the president has said earlier, and that should reassure them, Howery repeated.
The new ambassador referred to when Donald Trump, in a speech to Congress in March, gave a greeting to the Greenlandic people, where the president said:
— We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and if you choose to, we welcome you to the United States of America.
But in the same speech, Trump also said the now famous words:
“I think we will get it (Greenland, ed.). One way or another, we will get it.”
The U.S. Praises Danish Defence Billions In The Arctic
The whole triangular drama between the U.S., Greenland and Denmark actually began in December last year, when Donald Trump announced on his social media, Truth Social, that Ken Howery would be the new U.S. ambassador to Denmark.
“In his post about Howery, the newly elected president also wrote: “For the sake of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States feels that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity”.”
Only ten months later is Ken Howery now ready for the post.
— I am very grateful for his (Trump’s, ed.) trust in me and for the opportunity to represent him and our country for a second term here in the Kingdom of Denmark, said Howery.
A month ago, Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands entered into a historic defence agreement, when the second partial agreement on security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic was negotiated in place.
And that news also reached the White House.
On his social media, President Trump shared an article from the conservative news outlet Newsmax, which described that Denmark is now meeting the president’s security policy by allocating 27 billion kroner for defence in Greenland and the North Atlantic.
And according to Ambassador Howery, the large billion is sweet music to the president’s ears.
— The United States welcomes this additional investment in defence and security in the Arctic… I think we share the same concern, and I think the 27 billion kroner that has been allocated shows that the Kingdom also takes it seriously, said Ken Howery.
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— You praise the defence investments. Does that mean that American ownership of Greenland is off the table?
— Again, I must refer to what the president has said earlier…
— But in your opinion?
— My personal opinion does not matter. What I can say is that I am in favour of dialogue and cooperation on a concern that we share, says Ken Howery.
Source: DR (in Danish)