Danish king arrives in Greenland as Trump eyes strategic Arctic island

King Frederik X of Denmark has arrived in Greenland, kicking off a visit to the semi-autonomous territory that US president Donald Trump wants to annex because of its strategic Arctic location.

Frederik’s trip to the island’s capital city of Nuuk follows the new Greenlandic prime minister’s visit to Copenhagen earlier this week. Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen accompanied the monarch to Nuuk.

Wearing a jacket with emblems of the Danish and Greenlandic flags, the king did not take questions from the media on Tuesday upon disembarking from the plane.

The flight was originally scheduled for Monday, but was delayed because of poor weather conditions.

Frederik is expected to meet with the new Greenlandic government this week, as well as attend a traditional “kaffemik”, or coffee break, to meet with Greenlanders, the royal house said.

Weather forced him to cancel the anticipated trip on Wednesday to Station Nord, the island’s northernmost military and scientific station, plus forgo a meeting with an elite dogsled unit of the Danish special forces that patrols the remotest parts of north-east Greenland.

The monarch visited Greenland last July, months after he took the Danish throne upon his mother’s abdication.

This week’s Greenland trip comes after US vice president JD Vance visited a remote US military base on the island and accused Denmark of under-investing in it.

Mr Trump seeks control of mineral-rich Greenland, saying it is crucial for US security. Mr Trump has not ruled out taking the island by military force, even though Denmark is a Nato ally of the United States.