Greenland says that Donald Trump Jr. makes a “private visit” after father suggests that the US should buy territory from Denmark

President-elect Donald Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. was expected to visit Greenland on Tuesday, weeks after his father expressed a desire for the United States to gain control of the self-governing Danish area. The visit, confirmed by a Greenland official to CBS News, also comes a day after Mr. Trump suggested the people of the vast region were “MAGA,” in a social media post.

“The visit by Donald Trump Jr. is a private visit, and it is respected by Naalakkersuisut — Greenland’s Self-Government. That is why there will also be no reactions to the visit,” Mininguaq Kleist, Greenland’s permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told CBS News. “Our country is open to visitors and visitors are welcome in our beautiful country.”

Reuters, citing a source familiar with the trip, reported that Trump Jr. planned to record content for a podcast and that he would only be visiting for one day.

On Monday, Trump said in a social media post that he was, “heard that the population of Greenland is ‘MAGA’.” My son, Don Jr, and various representatives, will travel there to visit some of the most magnificent areas and sights is an incredible place and the people will greatly benefit if and when it becomes part of our Nation We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very evil world outside. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”

Greenland has a population of around 57,000 and is a fully self-governing area of ​​the Kingdom of Denmark. It has oil, natural gas and mineral resources, but its economy is dependent on subsidies from Denmark and from fishing.

President-elect Trump had expressed interest in buying Greenland during his first term in office, although the idea was quick rejected by Danish authorities.

Two weeks ago, Trump said on social media that “in the interests of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States feels that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”

Greenland’s government has twice rejected claims of interest in the territory from Mr. Trump along with Prime Minister Mute Egede say just before Christmas that “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale.”

Last week, Egede gave a New Year’s speech in which he pressed for Greenland to remove the “chains of colonialism” and achieve full independence from Denmark.

“It is time for us to take a step ourselves and shape our future, also in terms of who we will work closely with and who our trading partners will be,” Egede said.

A Greenlandic lawmaker in Denmark’s parliament, Aaja Chemnitz, said Trump’s interest should be rejected, Reuters reported.

“I don’t want to be a pawn in Trump’s warm dreams of expanding his empire to include our country,” Chemnitz said.