Donald Trump Jr touched down inGreenland on Tuesday, hours after his father reiterated his interest in taking control of the Arctic autonomous territory, pledging to “make Greenland great again”.

Trump Jr said in a podcast that aired on Monday that he was “not buying Greenland” but that he was going on a “very long, personal day trip”. He added: “I’m hopping on Trump Force 1 and landing in Greenland tomorrow morning.”

Nevertheless, his arrival in the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, in the Trump-branded plane prompted the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, to break her silence to say the autonomous territory is “not for sale”. “Seen through the eyes of the Danish government, Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders,” the Social Democrat told TV2.

Describing the US as “our absolute closest ally,” she said “we always want to work more closely with the Americans.” But she called on “everyone to respect that Greenlanders are a people, a population,” adding: “Only they can define their future.”

The visit is taking place against the backdrop of 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.

As well as its supply of multiple in-demand raw materials for green technology – including 25 of the 34 that the EU needs – amid melting Arctic ice and strategically positioned between the US and Russia, Greenland is viewed as increasingly important for defence and emerging as an international geopolitical battleground.

The Danish King Frederik shocked some historians with a new year move to change the royal coat of arms to more prominently feature Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which was also seen as a rebuke to Trump’s advances.

View image in fullscreen

A meeting between the Greenlandic prime minister, Múte Egede, and the king, scheduled to take place on Wednesday in Denmark, was cancelled on Monday without explanation. The royal house has since put it down to “calendar gymnastics”.

Trump Jr has said he is visiting the vast island in a private capacity and as a tourist. Others in his group include the political activist Charlie Kirk, who cofounded the pro-Trump conservative organisation Turning Point USA.

“We want to meet people,” the president-elect’s son said in his podcast, Triggered. “They seem like a great bunch of people.”

The Greenlandic government said no meetings had been scheduled with government representatives. The Danish and Greenlandic governments have both said it is a private visit.

“We have not been briefed on the nature of his programme, and therefore this is a private visit,” Mininnguaq Kleist, Greenland’s minister of independence and foreign affairs, told Reuters. He added that Trump Jr was expected to land at about 1300 GMT and stay for about 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 a population of just 57,000, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth. But development has been slow, leaving its economy reliant on fishing and annual subsidies from Denmark.

The capital, Nuuk, is closer to New York than the Danish capital, Copenhagen.

Trump, who takes office on 20 January, said his son and various representatives were going to visit “some of the most magnificent areas and sights”.

On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump praised the island and promised to “MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”

“Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation,” he wrote.

Trump expressed interest in buying Greenland during his 2017-2021 term but was publicly rebuffed by Greenlandic and Danish authorities before any conversations could take place.

Over recent months, tensions have escalated significantly between Greenland and Denmark. There is intense anger in Greenland over investigations into the forced contraceptive scandal of the 1960s and 70s, prompting the Greenlandic prime minister to accuse Denmark of genocide. There are also continuing protests in Copenhagen and Nuuk over the separation of Greenlandic children from their parents.

Last week, Egede stepped up a push for independence from Denmark in his new year speech, saying he wanted it to break free from “the shackles of colonialism” to shape its own future, although he did not mention the US.

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 hot dreams of expanding his empire to include our country,” she said.

Two weeks ago, Trump said on Truth Social that “the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity”.

Reuters contributed to this report

• Greenland
• Denmark
• Donald Trump
• Donald Trump Jr
• Europe
• news