Denmark's King Frederik X travels to Greenland amid rising US interest
Danish monarch, King Frederik X (Photo: Getty Images)
Next week, Denmark's King Frederik X will travel to Greenland to meet its new prime minister and government, AP News reports.
Greenland draws global attention
The royal visit comes just weeks after US Vice President JD Vance criticized Denmark for underinvesting in the strategically important Arctic island and as President Donald Trump openly voices ambitions to control resource-rich Greenland.
Trump, who has called the Greenland island vital to US security, has not ruled out the use of military force, even though Denmark is a NATO ally.
During his trip, King Frederik X will visit Nuuk, the Greenlandic capital, then travel north to Station Nord, the island's northernmost military and research base.
There, he'll meet an elite dogsled unit from Denmark's special forces that patrols remote areas in the northeast.
Greenland's government stands firm
Greenland's political parties have recently united to form a broad coalition government, aiming to strengthen the territory's autonomy as talk of independence intensifies in response to international pressure.
New Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen will meet Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen before returning to Greenland with King Frederik X for the royal visit.
Nielsen publicly responded to Trump's ambitions, saying: "President Trump says that the United States 'will get Greenland.' Let me be clear: The United States will not get it. We do not belong to anyone else. We decide our own future."
The king's visit highlights Greenland's growing geopolitical importance and the island's determination to shape its own destiny.
