Donald Trump Jr begins his private visit to Greenland

Donald Trump Jr began a private visit to Greenland on Tuesday, an autonomous territory of Denmark coveted by his father, with the Danish Prime Minister affirming at the same time that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders”.

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“Greenland is an incredible place and its people, if and when they become part of our nation, will benefit enormously (…) MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!” (“Make Greenland Great Again”), Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday.

“Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders,” replied Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Danish channel TV2 upon the arrival of Donald Trump Jr at Nuuk airport on Tuesday around 1 p.m. GMT.

Questioned by Greenlandic public television and radio KNR when he got off the plane, the president’s son said he was there as a “tourist” and had not planned any official meetings.

His father, however, reignited speculation shortly after, saying on Truth Social that the island “needs safety, security, strength and peace. It’s an agreement that must be concluded.”

Trump Jr was also filmed by his team at a restaurant in Nuuk, surrounded by supporters listening to his father touting a deal with Greenland over the phone.

The autonomous Danish territory, which seeks to gain sovereignty but remains financially dependent on Copenhagen, arouses desire for its natural resources – although oil prospecting and uranium exploitation are prohibited there – and for its geostrategic importance – the The United States already has a military base there.

“What is worrying is the way in which Trump (father) talks about international relations and it could get worse if he starts to ‘take over countries’,” Ulrik Pram Gad, specialist in Greenland, told AFP. at the Danish Institute of International Studies.

This is not the first time that the American billionaire has taken an interest in Greenland. He had considered buying it in 2019 during his first mandate and had already been rejected.

“Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and never will be,” wrote the head of the Greenlandic government Mute Egede on Facebook before Christmas following a first suggestion of annexation.

“Most Greenlanders will agree with their Prime Minister that Greenland is not for sale but open for business,” explains the researcher.

“No thanks”

“No thanks,” said MP Aaja Chemnitz, who represents Greenland in the Danish Parliament, after Donald Trump’s offer.

“Unbelievable that some people can be so naive as to think that our happiness is achieved by becoming American citizens,” she wrote on Facebook, refusing to “be a pawn in Trump’s burning dreams of expanding his empire to our country”.

With its 57,000 inhabitants spread over 2.2 million km2, which represents the lowest population density in the world, the immense Arctic island is geographically closer to the American continent than to Europe.

Colonized by the Danes in the 18th century, it is some 2,500 km from the tutelary power, to which it still owes a fifth of its annual GDP, in the form of subsidies. The other pillar of the local economy is fishing.

Autonomous since 1979, Greenland has its flag, its language and its institutions but justice, monetary policy, foreign policy, defense and security still depend on Copenhagen.

The post of ambassador for the Arctic has crystallized tensions between the two capitals because Denmark had appointed a diplomat with no links to the region two years ago.

“Step forward”

At the end of December, the Danish government announced that Nuuk would now nominate a candidate for this position and chair the Arctic Council on behalf of the Scandinavian kingdom.

During his wishes, the Greenlandic Prime Minister affirmed that the territory must take “a step forward” and shape its future “particularly with regard to (its) trading partners and the people with whom we should work in close collaboration” .

In 2023, a draft Constitution was presented to the local Parliament, the Inatsisartut.

“Since then there has been no public debate,” notes researcher Ulrik Pram Gad.

The discussion could, however, emerge during the next campaign, with local legislative elections due to take place no later than April 6.

“I expect more discussions on the formal steps towards independence, on how politicians want to secure the welfare state and the future of Greenland.”