Rufus Gifford: Greenland has been treated very poorly by the Trump administration

Former US Ambassador to Denmark, Democrat Rufus Gifford, has been invited to speak at this year's Future Greenland conference.

Sermitsiaq caught up with him on Tuesday ahead of his speech, where we asked him what it was like to be here with Trump's special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, and US Ambassador to Denmark Ken Howery at a time when the atmosphere between Greenland and the US is at freezing point.

– I am extremely angry about all the ridiculous things coming from Washington, and I am sure I will speak more about it later today. As a private American citizen, I will do everything I can to strengthen the ties between our countries and, frankly, remind Greenlanders and Danes that there are many Americans who think very highly of you. I think Greenland has been treated very, very badly by the Trump administration, and I will do what I can to fix that.

Respect for the red lines

Rufus Gifford says that he has never met Jeff Landry, nor has he spoken to him here in Greenland.

– We have an ambassador in Denmark and a consulate in Nuuk. So to me it makes no sense that there is a special envoy to Greenland. He has a full-time job as governor in the United States, and he has never been to Greenland before, and he has no diplomatic experience.

According to Rufus Gifford, there is a process underway between the United States, Denmark, and Greenland on how to move forward most effectively with respect for each other's concerns and wishes, and with respect for the red lines and what is possible.

– I try to be optimistic. I am here partly also because Trump will be out of office in two and a half years. And I think the time we are in now is abnormal. What will it look like in 2029? Greenland and the United States have many common interests, and that is worth fighting for, and I will continue to do so, says Rufus Gifford.