Denmark approves first U.S. consulate in Greenland since 1950s
By Joseph Wilkinson
Nuuk, Greenland, the capital of the semi-autonomous territory owned by Denmark. (David Goldman/AP)
Perhaps the U.S.-Denmark relationship is headed for greener pastures.
Four months after President Trump received any icy reception from Denmark for his plan to buy Greenland, the Danish government approved plans for a new U.S. consulate in the semi-autonomous territory, according to Reuters. The U.S. has not had a consulate in Greenland since 1953.
Trump has taken a particular interest in the largest island in the world, which is home to 55,000 people, and he canceled a planned visit to Denmark in August after learning that Greenland was not for sale.
The focus on the territory is part of a larger White House strategy to strengthen U.S. diplomatic and commercial interests in the increasingly navigable Arctic region, Reuters reported.
Denmark will still need to approve whoever the Trump administration chooses to lead the new consulate.
While a previous U.S. Consulate on Greenland lasted from 1940 until 1953, the U.S. maintains an Air Force base, Thule Air Base, on the northwest coast of the island. The base began operation in 1943.