President-elect Donald J. Trump has spoken repeatedly over the last month about his desire for the United States to purchase Greenland, and during a lengthy news conference on Tuesday he raised the possibility of using military force to achieve that goal. He refused to exclude gender.
In a more subtle geopolitical move that preceded Trump's remarks, Denmark's newly proclaimed King Frederick Changes were made.
The Danish Royal Coat of Arms (a more elaborate symbol than the kingdom's coat of arms) previously featured a panel with three crowns representing the Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. These crowns have now been removed, dedicating separate panels to Greenland (represented by a polar bear) and the Faroe Islands (represented by a ram). In the previous coat of arms, Greenland's polar bear was in the same lower left panel, but much smaller.
A statement from the Danish royal family said the new design “reinforces the prominence of the Kingdom of Denmark in the Royal Coat of Arms, with the Faroe Islands and Greenland each receiving a field of their own.” The royal symbol is a coat of arms for the personal use of the king, and is also a symbol of the state.
The royal coat of arms was featured on a flag that was flown at Copenhagen's Amalienborg Palace for the royal New Year's banquet last week, and was also painted on royal vehicles as guests arrived, the statement said.
Lars Hovbacke Sørensen, an expert on the Danish royal family, told TV 2 in an interview that the modest nature of the redesign does not weaken its case.
“It is important for Denmark to convey that Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of Danish territory and this is not up for debate,” he said. “This is how you mark it.”
Even if tweaking the design of the coat of arms appears to be a subdued way to convey a political message, Mr. Trump has, by comparison, been more successful in emphasizing America's interest in expanding into Greenland. He was never modest.
Last month, Trump announced in a post on Truth Social that he would appoint diplomat and PayPal co-founder Ken Howley as ambassador to Denmark, saying: Around the world, the United States feels that ownership and control of Greenland is absolutely necessary “for purposes of national security and freedom.” ”
He reiterated his intentions in a post Monday, saying his son, Donald Trump Jr., is planning to travel to Greenland soon. “Greenland is a wonderful place, and people will benefit tremendously if it becomes part of our country,” he said.
When the younger Trump arrived in the island's capital, Nuuk, on Tuesday with an entourage that included conservative activist Charlie Kirk, he told reporters waiting at the airport that he intended to visit briefly as a tourist.
But some in the region took his visit as a provocation. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was asked to comment more directly, perhaps in a way that a redesign of the royal coat of arms cannot, and addressed the nation in a television appearance.
“Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders,” she said. “The fight for our future and independence is our business.”
