The son of the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, businessman Donald Trump Jr., is set to visit Greenland on Tuesday, where he will meet with local politicians advocating for the island’s independence, according to Greenlandic and Danish media reports on Monday.
Donald Trump Jr. is scheduled to hold talks with various figures, including Erik Jensen, leader of the influential social-democratic Siumut party. In late December 2024, Jensen officially invited Trump Jr. to visit the island. Greenland’s government confirmed the visit but clarified that it is intended to be a private trip. On Monday, a private jet carrying Trump Jr.’s associates landed at the airport in Nuuk.
“Humiliation of the Danish Government”
The Danish press has described Trump Jr.’s visit to Greenland as a “Humiliation of the Danish Government”. “Even if it’s a private visit by the president-elect’s son, no one should doubt its purpose,” emphasized Bent Winther, a commentator for the Danish newspaper Berlingske. He added that it is evident Denmark is responsible for Greenland’s foreign and security policies.
Trump’s Son Travels to Greenland
In late December, Donald Trump appointed Elon Musk’s associate, billionaire Ken Howery, as the U.S. ambassador to Copenhagen. At the same time, Trump emphasized that “ownership and control of Greenland are absolutely essential.” He stated this was necessary “for national security and global freedom.” In response, Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede reiterated that the island, which is part of Denmark, is not for sale. In his New Year’s address, he also expressed support for Greenland’s independence, although he did not specify a timeline for such a move.
It is worth noting that the Danish parliament granted autonomy to Greenland in 1979, which was expanded in 2008. Since 2009, Greenland has had the right to declare independence from Denmark, but no decision has been made to date. The island has a population of about 56,000 and receives substantial budgetary support from Copenhagen annually.
Trump’s Interest in Greenland
Donald Trump’s interest in Greenland stems from its strategic location in the Arctic. The world’s largest island holds military and economic significance. It is also a symbol of climate change and melting glaciers. As we wrote earlier, in 2019, during his first instance in the White House, Trump offered to buy Greenland from Denmark. This proposal was then firmly rejected by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
“Humiliation of the Danish Government”. Not Just Greenland
Trump has made similar proposals many times recently regarding the Panama Canal. Are these just empty words or an announcement of serious changes in geopolitics? Is this a sign of a change in alliances?
Greenland
As Wikipedia says “…Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, located on an island of the same name. The capital of Greenland is Nuuk (known as Godthåb in Danish). Geographically positioned in North America yet historically and politically tied to Europe, it spans an area of 2,166,086 km² – making it the world’s largest island outside of the continents. Approximately 81% of this area is covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet, with about 410,400 km² remaining ice-free, and it had a population of 56,421 as of January 1, 2021, 89% of whom are Inuit.
In 1979, the Danish Parliament granted Greenland home rule. A 1982 referendum saw 52% of residents favoring withdrawal from the European Economic Community, and Greenland officially left in 1985. Unlike Denmark, Greenland is not a member of the European Union, although it is a member of the Nordic Council. In 2008, another referendum further expanded Greenland’s autonomy.
The name of the island, meaning “Green Land,” was chosen to encourage settlement, in contrast to Iceland, whose name “land of ice” was intended to deter colonization.”
