Donald Trump Jr. plans to visit Greenland, two weeks after his father reiterated his desire for the United States to take control of the island, an autonomous Danish territory.
The son of the US president-elect plans to record videos for a podcast during the one-day private visit, US media reported.
Donald Trump reignited controversy in December when he said “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for US national security.
He had previously expressed interest in buying Arctic territory during his first term as president. Trump was rebuffed by Greenland's leaders on both occasions.
“We are not for sale and we will not be for sale,” the island's Prime Minister Mute Egede said in December. “Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland.”
Greenland lies on the shortest route from North America to Europe, making it strategically important for the US. It is also home to a major US space facility.
The president-elect's eldest son has played a key role during the 2024 US election campaign, making frequent appearances at rallies and in the media.
But he will not travel to Greenland on behalf of his father's incoming administration, according to the Danish foreign ministry.
“We noted the planned visit of Donald Trump Jr. to Greenland. As this is not an official US visit, Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no further comment on the visit,” the ministry told BBC News.
Hours after President-elect Trump's latest intervention, the Danish government announced a a huge increase in Greenland's defense spending. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the timing of the announcement as “ironic.”
On Monday, Denmark's King Frederik X changed the royal coat of arms to include a more prominent image of Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Some see it as a rebuke to Trump, but it could also prove controversial for Greenland's separatist movement.
King Frederik used his New Year's address to say the Kingdom of Denmark was united “all the way to Greenland”, adding “we belong together”.
But Greenland's prime minister used his own New Year's speech to push for independence from Denmark, saying the island must free itself from the “shackles of colonialism”.
Trump is not the first US president to propose buying Greenland. The idea was first floated by the country's 17th president, Andrew Johnson, in the 1860s.
Separately, in recent weeks, Trump has done so threatens to regain control of the Panama Canalone of the most important waterways in the world. He accused Panama of charging exorbitant fees to access it.
Panama's president responded by saying that “every square meter” of the canal and the surrounding area belonged to his country.