Greenland Dog Sled Race Rejects Trump Envoy! Why?

Greenland's biggest dog sled race just got a whole lot more complicated. Organizers of the Avannaata Qimussersua, a huge annual event, are scrambling to figure out how President Trump's special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, received an invitation to attend. Turns out, they didn't send one – and they're not happy about it.

Greenland Dog Sled Race Rejects Trump Envoy! Why?

Landry, you see, has been a pretty vocal proponent of, shall we say, the *possibility* of Greenland becoming a part of the United States. This, as you might imagine, hasn't exactly endeared him to everyone on the Arctic island, or in Denmark, which currently governs Greenland. So, news that he was planning to attend the dog sled race in March to chat up locals about the benefits of closer ties with the US has sparked quite the controversy.

The Greenland Dog Sledding Association (KNQK) released a statement saying they were completely in the dark about any invitation extended to Landry. Chairman Mikkel Jeremiassen minced no words, calling Landry's potential presence "inappropriate" given his public push for annexation. "The KNQK Board finds it unacceptable that political pressure is being exerted from outside and considers the participation of foreign political actors in Avannaata Qimussersua wholly inappropriate," Jeremiassen wrote on Facebook. An internal investigation is now underway to figure out who, exactly, extended this questionable invite.

The whole situation stems from Trump's continued... interest... in acquiring Greenland. He's publicly mused about it, even hinting at the possibility of using force – something that hasn't gone down well in Copenhagen. Trump even went so far as to ridicule Denmark's defenses, claiming they consisted of "two dog sleds." Seriously? This is the level we're operating at.

Landry, for his part, has described Denmark's rule over Greenland as an "occupation," which, unsurprisingly, prompted Denmark to summon the US ambassador. It's a real diplomatic mess, and the dog sled race is now caught right in the middle.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has been clear: "Greenland will not be part of the US." Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen went even further, warning that any US military action to annex the island would mean the "end of NATO." Strong words, indeed. It seems unlikely that Mr. Landry will be warming himself with a cup of hot chocolate at the finish line, but it’s doubtful that the controversy surrounding Greenland will be resolved any time soon.