Denmark’s king visits Greenland, showing unity in the face of Trump threats
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Denmark’s King Frederik X arrived in Greenland on Wednesday for a three-day visit widely viewed as a symbolic show of support for the autonomous Danish territory, according to Agence France-Presse.
The visit comes against the backdrop of renewed interest in Greenland by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has previously expressed a desire for Washington to acquire the vast, mineral-rich Arctic island.
The 57-year-old monarch was greeted at Nuuk airport by Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, as supporters waved Greenlandic flags in freezing temperatures.
Frederik is scheduled to hold talks with Nielsen in the capital, tour a high school and a fisheries company, and meet members of the public at a cultural centre. On Thursday he will travel to Maniitsoq, before visiting a Danish military Arctic training centre in Kangerlussuaq on Friday.
Trump’s previous threats to seize Greenland — including suggestions that force could be used — have heightened diplomatic tensions between Washington and Copenhagen. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at the weekend that she believes Trump still wants to own Greenland, despite softening his rhetoric in recent weeks.
Greenland holds strategic significance due to its location and rich natural resources, particularly as melting Arctic ice opens new shipping lanes and intensifies geopolitical competition.
Although Denmark once ruled Greenland as a colonial power, the monarchy has long maintained strong popularity on the island. Frederik, an avid outdoorsman, participated in a 3,500-kilometre ski expedition across Greenland in 2000 with the Danish Navy’s elite Sirius patrol. Since ascending the throne in January 2024, he has visited the territory several times, underlining Copenhagen’s continued commitment to its Arctic region.
