It’s not exactly the style of royal families to bang their fists on the table, they prefer subtlety. We know that Donald Trump is eyeing several territories to expand the United States of America. In its sights, the Panama Canal, Greenland and phrases regularly thrown about a possible annexation of Canada.
“For national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States of America believes that ownership and control of Greenland makes it an absolute necessity,” Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social at the end of December.
To which the Prime Minister of Greenland, Mute Egede, replied that the territory, rich in natural resources, was not “not for sale”. His recent statements on Greenland echo those he made in 2019. Donald Trump, then president, had openly considered the purchase by the United States of this Arctic territory, evoking a potential “big real estate transaction” which would be “strategically interesting”.
An end of refusal, on the Danish side
Enough to irritate the Kingdom of Denmark, to which this immense territory belongs. Also, to show Donald Trump that he is not at home in Greenland, the royal family has had its coat of arms modified. A fairly rare occurrence.
According to The Guardian, the royal coat of arms had featured three crowns for almost 500 years. They symbolized the Union of Kalmar between Denmark, Norway and Swedenµ. Since this change, the crowns were removed and replaced by a polar bear and a ram, more visible than in the first version. All to symbolize Greenland and the Faroe Islands respectively.
These changes were made after a recommendation from a committee appointed shortly after the accession to the throne of King Frederik X of Denmark. During his speech on the occasion of the New Year, the king gave a little layer of it. “We are all united and each of us is committed to the Kingdom of Denmark. From the Danish minority in South Schleswig – which is even located outside the Kingdom – to Greenland. We belong to the same country, all together”, he said.
So for the specialiststhe link between the message sent by Denmark to Donald Trump is clear: Greenland, like the Faroe Islands, belongs to Denmark and there are no discussions possible.
“Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders”
This Tuesday, January 7, the Danish Prime Minister reaffirmed the sovereignty of the territory: “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders”, she said. “As Prime Minister Mute Egede said, Greenland is not for sale”Mette Frederiksen told TV2 television. “The United States is our closest ally”she stressed. A sentence that comes at the right time since Donald Trump Jr, the son of, began a private visit to Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark coveted by his father and which seeks to gain sovereignty but remains financially dependent on Copenhagen.
“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 Monday on Truth Social. The plane marked “Trump” and carrying the president-elect’s son landed shortly before 1:00 p.m. GMT at Nuuk airport, along the snow-covered fjord.
Interviewed by Greenlandic public television and radio KNR when he got off the plane, Donald Trump Jr said he was there as “tourist” and not having planned any official meetings.
The local press assures that he will be there for only a few hours. “This trip is probably just what Trump Jr himself says, to make video content”estimates Ulrik Pram Gad, Greenland specialist at the Danish Institute of International Studies, to AFP.
