Greenland appoints first Arctic ambassador, pledges sustainable development

12/4/2025 6:31

Greenland appointed its first Arctic ambassador on Friday, pledging to promote sustainable economic development for indigenous people and advance green energy transitions for polar communities as it prepares to chair the Arctic Council.



The two-year chairmanship comes at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump is attempting to assert control over the semi-autonomous Danish island and when competition over the Arctic region is hotting up among world powers.



The Arctic holds fossil fuels and minerals beneath the land and the seabed that could become more accessible with global warming.



The United States also sees the Arctic as crucial for natural security, including for its early warning system against nuclear attacks. The Kremlin says the Arctic is a zone of Russian strategic interest.