The eldest son of US President-elect Donald Trump arrived in Greenland on Tuesday for a private visit that has increased speculation that the incoming US administration could try to take control of the Danish territory.
The Danish state broadcaster reported that Donald Trump Jr.’s plane landed in Nuuk, the capital of the vast, frozen territory that has about 57,000 inhabitants.
In a statement, the Greenland government said Trump Jr.’s visit would take place “as a private individual” and not as an official visit and that Greenlandic representatives would not meet him.
Mininguaq Kleist, permanent secretary of Greenland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, told The Associated Press that authorities were informed that Trump Jr. would stay for four to five hours.
There have been no requests from Trump Jr.’s delegation for official meetings with government representatives. The Greenland government has also not requested to meet with the delegation, he said.
However, the visit has strong political connotations.
This comes after President-elect Donald Trump recently expressed his desire, which he also expressed during his first presidency, to acquire the vast Arctic territory. Greenland is an autonomous territory that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
It also comes as Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede has been calling for independence from Denmark, saying in a New Year’s speech it would be a way for Greenland to free itself from its colonial past. But Egede has also said he has no interest in Greenland becoming part of the United States, insisting that the island is not for sale.
King Frederik
Last month, the king changed Denmark’s coat of arms to include fields representing Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Greenland is represented by a silver bear sitting upright with a red tongue. The royal announcement noted that since 1194, the royal coat of arms “visually symbolizes the legitimacy and sovereignty of the State and the monarch.”
“We are all united and each of us committed to the Kingdom of Denmark,” Frederik said in his New Year’s speech, adding: “all the way to Greenland.”
Trump Jr. is in Greenland for a daylong trip to record video content for podcasting, according to a person familiar with the plans who was not authorized to speak publicly.
“I hear the people of Greenland are ‘MAGA’. My son, Don Jr., and several representatives will be traveling there to visit some of the most magnificent areas and places,” President-elect Donald Trump posted on his social media site on Monday night, referring to his “Make America Great Again” campaign. “motion
“Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit greatly by becoming part of our nation,” Trump wrote. “We will protect and cherish it from a very cruel outside world. LET’S MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump has had plans for Greenland before. In a statement last month announcing his selection as US ambassador to Denmark, he wrote: “For purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States of America feels that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity. “.
Trump’s eldest son has become a prominent player in his father’s political movement and has served on his presidential transition team, helping select people who will be part of the incoming White House staff.
During his first term, Trump mulled purchasing Greenland, which gained its autonomy from Denmark in 1979. He even canceled a scheduled trip to Denmark in August 2019 after its prime minister dismissed the idea.
Greenland, the world’s largest island, lies between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans, is 80 percent covered by a sheet of ice and is home to a large US military base.
