NUUK, Greenland — A Canadian delegation including Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and several Inuit leaders will attend the official opening of Canada’s first consulate in Greenland since the end of the Second World War on Friday.
The opening in the Greenlandic capital comes one month after U.S. President Donald Trump escalated threats about acquiring Greenland, comments that drew international attention before subsiding in recent days.
“There has been a lot of goodwill that has been created between Canada and Greenland just over the past few months, and the timing is very good for Canada to demonstrate its support for Greenland and its support for Arctic diplomacy,” said Marc Lanteigne, a Canadian political science professor at the University of Tromsø, the Arctic University of Norway, and an adjunct lecturer at the University of Greenland.
Lanteigne said Trump’s comments about annexing Greenland echo past remarks about making Canada the 51st state, underscoring growing uncertainty in Arctic geopolitics.
“This really demonstrates the fact that a lot of long-standing ideas about Arctic relations are suddenly being thrown into the air,” he said.
Global Affairs Canada has noted the consulate was announced more than a year ago as part of Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy. However, Friday’s opening will not include a permanently appointed consul.
In a statement, Global Affairs Canada said Julie Crôteau is serving as acting head of the consular post and has been stationed in Nuuk since November. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark Carolyn Bennett will continue to make regular visits, and a permanent consul will be appointed at a later date, spokesperson Thida Ith said.
Former U.S. Arctic co-ordinator Jim DeHart welcomed the move, calling it a “smart” decision.
“I say congratulations to Canada. I think it’s a smart move,” DeHart said.
DeHart served as the U.S. co-ordinator for the Arctic during the first Trump administration, including when the United States opened its own consulate in Nuuk in 2020. He later served as U.S. consul general to British Columbia and the Yukon.
He said a Canadian consulate will help Ottawa engage communities beyond the capital and gain a better understanding of Greenlandic perspectives.
“I think having a consulate there will allow Canadians to engage Greenlanders and people residing there well beyond the capital,” he said. “It’s a chance to engage with people where they live and understand the views of Greenlanders.”
DeHart criticized Trump’s approach to Greenland, calling threats toward a NATO ally strategically and ethically flawed, and warning they could create opportunities for Russia.
Asked whether the consulate’s opening could further irritate Washington amid ongoing Canada–U.S. trade tensions, DeHart said any potential risk is outweighed by the benefits of strengthening ties with Greenland and Denmark.
