Camilla Jessen
King Frederik visits Greenland amid renewed US pressure over Arctic island.
Denmark’s King Frederik X has begun a three-day visit to Greenland.
The visit comes at a sensitive diplomatic moment, as Greenland once again finds itself at the center of tensions between Denmark and the US.
Royal show of support
The 57-year-old monarch arrived in Nuuk on Wednesday, greeting dozens of residents who gathered at the airport. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed him upon arrival.
According to AFP, the visit is being interpreted as a clear signal of support for the autonomous Danish territory following statements by Trump expressing interest in bringing Greenland under US control.
Announcing his trip at the end of January, King Frederik expressed what he called “deep solidarity” with Greenlanders unsettled by the debate.
“From the press, you can see and feel that people have been very concerned (…), it is clear that this concerns us both,” he said, also referring to Queen Mary.
Diplomatic tensions
Trump has repeatedly argued that control of Greenland is essential to US national security, citing strategic concerns over Russia and China in the Arctic.
In March 2025, US Vice President JD Vance also criticized what he described as Denmark’s insufficient protection of the territory.
The Danish monarch, whose role is largely ceremonial, issued a rare political comment in response: “There should be no doubt about my love for Greenland, and my connection to the Greenlandic people is intact.”
Despite Denmark’s colonial history in Greenland, the monarchy remains broadly popular there.
Arctic itinerary
During his visit, King Frederik is scheduled to tour a high school in Nuuk, the Royal Greenland fishing company, and the Arctic Command headquarters, which oversees Danish sovereignty in the region.
He will also meet local entrepreneurs in Maniitsoq and visit a Danish military Arctic training center in Kangerlussuaq.
Frederik has long-standing ties to Greenland. In 2000, he participated in a four-month, 3,500-kilometer ski expedition across the island as part of the Danish Navy’s elite Sirius patrol.
While Trump later toned down earlier threats after signing a framework agreement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, tensions over Greenland have created one of the most serious strains within the North Atlantic Alliance in recent years.
Sources: AFP, News.ro
