Donald Trump Jr landed at Greenland on Tuesday, hours after his father reiterated his interest in taking control of the self-governing Arctic territory, pledging to “make Greenland great again.”
After arriving in the Greenlandic capital aboard a Trump-emblazoned plane, he told the crowd waiting for him in the arrivals hall at Nuuk airport – some wearing red Make America Great Again caps – that he was “very excited to be here.” It was, he said, “a little colder here than in Florida,” adding that the American president-elect “said hello to everyone in Greenland.”
Asked about his plans, he said he was visiting as a tourist, had no plans to meet with politicians, and declined to discuss U.S. interest in Greenland. , saying he was simply there to “see a lot of sights, talk to some people and have a good time.”
He was later photographed in front of a controversial statue of Hans Egede, a Danish-Norwegian missionary considered a symbol of Danish colonialism.
Trump Jr said in a podcast released on Monday that he was “not buying Greenland” but was going on “a very long personal day trip”. He added: “I’m boarding Trump Force One and landing in Greenland tomorrow morning. »
However, his arrival in the capital Nuuk pushed the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, to break her silence to affirm that the autonomous territory was “not for sale”. “Seen from the Danish government’s point of view, Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders,” the Social Democrat told TV2.
Describing the United States as “our closest ally,” she said: “we always want to work closer with the Americans.” But she called on “everyone to respect the fact that the Greenlanders are a people, a population,” adding: “Only they can define their future.”
The visit comes amid escalating tensions between Greenland and Denmark, as the Trump administration prepares to take office.
Greenland is a former Danish colony and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which continues to control its foreign and security policy.
In addition to its supply of in-demand raw materials for green technologies – including 25 of the 34 the EU needs – in a context of melting Arctic ice and in a strategic position between the United States and Russia, Greenland is considered an increasingly important country for defense and is emerging as a country. an international geopolitical battlefield.
Danish King Frederik shocked some historians by deciding in the new year to change the royal coat of arms to place more prominence on Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which was also seen as a rebuke to Trump’s advances.
A meeting between Greenland’s Prime Minister, Múte Egede, and the king, scheduled for Wednesday in Denmark, was canceled on Monday without explanation. The royal household has since blamed this on “calendar gymnastics”.
Trump Jr said he was visiting the vast island privately and as a tourist. Other members of his group include political activist Charlie Kirk, co-founder of the pro-Trump conservative organization Turning Point USA.
“We want to meet people,” the president-elect’s son said on his Triggered podcast. “They seem like a great group.”
The Greenlandic government said no meetings were planned with government officials. Both the Danish and Greenlandic governments said it was a private visit.
“We have not been informed of the nature of his program and therefore this is a private visit,” Mininnguaq Kleist, Greenland’s minister for independence and foreign affairs, told Reuters. He added that Trump Jr is expected to land around 1300 GMT and stay there for around four to five hours.
In a statement, Greenland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “Greenland is open and those who wish to visit us are welcome. »
Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark with only 57,000 inhabitants, has mineral, oil and gas riches. But development has been slow, leaving its economy dependent on fishing and annual subsidies from Denmark.
The capital, Nuuk, is closer to New York than to the Danish capital, Copenhagen.
Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, said his son and various representatives were going to visit “some of the most magnificent areas and sites.”
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump praised the island and promised to “MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!” »
“Greenland is an incredible place, and people will benefit enormously if and when it becomes part of our nation,” he wrote.
Trump expressed interest in purchasing Greenland during his 2017-2021 term, but was publicly rebuffed by Greenlandic and Danish authorities before discussions could take place.
In recent months, tensions have increased significantly between Greenland and Denmark. There is intense anger in Greenland following investigations into the forced contraceptive scandal of the 1960s and 1970s, which prompted Greenland’s prime minister to accuse Denmark of genocide. Protests also continue in Copenhagen and Nuuk against the separation of Greenlandic children from their parents.
Last week, Egede stepped up his push for Danish independence in his New Year’s speech, saying he wanted the country to break free from the “shackles of colonialism” to shape its own future, although he did not mention the United States.
Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, said the idea of a US takeover should be firmly rejected. “I don’t want to be a pawn in Trump’s ardent dreams of expanding his empire to include our country,” she said.
Two weeks ago, Trump said on Truth Social that “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”
Reuters contributed to this report
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