Denmark alters 500 years of history to solidify Greenland claim as Trump eyes the territory

A massive polar bear faces off against Donald Trump Jr.

The Danish king's recent actions suggest that the United States could be facing a significant challenge.

Danish King Frederik, who took over the throne after Queen Margrethe II's abdication last year, has made major adjustments to the royal coat of arms for the first time in over five centuries, a move that historians see as a clear message to Greenland - and maybe also to Trump.

The king emphasized in his New Year's address that Danes are united and dedicated to their country, with their unity extending even to Greenland.

The Danish coat of arms has been updated as of January 1, allowing Greenland and the Faroe Islands to have their own quarters on the emblem, featuring a bear and a ram respectively. According to the royal household, a "polar bear was originally designated as Greenland's heraldic emblem in 1666 under King Frederik the 3rd."

They are "a declaration and a symbolic indication that people in both locations are integral and equally important parts of the kingdom," Peter Aagaard, an associate professor at Roskilde University in Denmark, said to NBC News.

Located just north of the Arctic Circle, Greenland is the world's biggest island, situated between the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. In fact, it's surprisingly closer to New York City than to Copenhagen, Denmark's capital. Greenland has been a Danish possession since the 14th century but achieved full autonomy from Denmark in 1979.

The area is also home to a major US Air Force base and significant mineral deposits, drawing the attention of President Trump, who reportedly expressed interest in purchasing the island during his early years in office.

Greenland and Denmark strongly opposed Trump's plan at the time, forcing him to cancel a trip to Copenhagen.

Since then, an ongoing debate has been taking place in both Denmark and Greenland regarding the island's future within the Danish Commonwealth, fueled in part by recent revelations of wrongdoing on the part of the former colonial power.

"I suspect the coat of arms would still have been updated, despite the Trump enthusiasm for purchasing Greenland," Aagaard said, acknowledging "a robust discussion" and "growing sentiment for self-governance in Greenland," coupled with the king's personal fondness for the island.

Danish royal historian Lars Hovbakke Sørensen said the king's move might have been a calculated effort to emphasize that "Greenland is a part of the Danish Realm," especially considering increasing American interest in the island, which is home to around 56,000 people.

On December 24, Trump posted on Truth Social saying "the ownership and control" of the Danish territory was "an absolute necessity."

Later that day, Denmark's government announced a significant boost to its military spending for the island, for around $1.5 billion. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the timing of that announcement as a puzzling coincidence.

Donald Trump remains unruffled by his critics.

"Greenland is a truly remarkable place, and its people will greatly benefit if it becomes a part of our country. We will safeguard and preserve it from any potential dangers and hostile influences outside its borders," he shared on Truth Social before his son's visit.

Trump Jr.'s outing was expected to last four to five hours, said Mininnguaq Kleist, the island's permanent secretary for foreign affairs.

"We haven't been given information about the nature of his program, so this is a private meeting," Kleist said to Reuters.

Timely after his arrival, Donald Trump Jr. was recorded on a phone conversation with his father in a restaurant.

One of Donald Trump Jr.'s team members showed the president-elect a phone, and in a voice audible to onlookers, Trump said that Greenland was a "very special place."

"We desperately need protection not just for ourselves, but also for the world at large," he emphasized. "It's not just our safety that's at stake, but the security of our entire nation and the global community that we share," he further clarified, as the crowd began to applaud in approval.

Donald Trump Jr. stated that his team is "learning a lot" and found Greenland to be "extremely lovely." He also mentioned that they had received a "dazzling" reception there.

The Danish Foreign Affairs Ministry stated it took note of the visit, but declined comment, indicating that it did not constitute an official American visit.

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated on Tuesday that Greenland's future would be determined by its own people, describing the United States as Denmark's most crucial ally.

The prime minister of Greenland, Múte Egede, earlier made it clear in a message to President Trump that "Greenland is not for sale."

However, the dispute could fuel further calls for Greenland's independence from Denmark, with pro-independence advocates looking to leverage the Trump interest to boost their own cause, rather than seeking American control to replace Danish rule, Aagaard observed.

Egede has urged the territory to "shatter the bonds of the colonial past," saying it is preparing to enact a new self-governance law to chart its own path forward, independent of Denmark.

"We absolutely cannot afford to give up our ongoing fight for liberty," he said.

Danish politicians generally viewed Donald Trump Jr.'s visit as "quite annoying," Aagaard noted, while also acknowledging Denmark's strong interest in Greenland remaining part of the Commonwealth; however, the Danes are aware that Denmark cannot independently defend Greenland.

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