Donald Trump Jr. plans to visit Greenland, two weeks after his father reiterated his desire for U.S. control of the island, a self-governing Danish territory.

The son of the US president-elect plans to record a podcast during a one-day private visit, US media reported.

Donald Trump reignited controversy last December when he said “ownership and control of Greenland is absolutely necessary to U.S. national security.”

He had previously expressed interest in purchasing Arctic territory during his first term as president. Trump was rebuffed both times by Greenlandic leaders.

“We will not sell, we will not sell,” the island’s prime minister, Mute Egede, said in December. “Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland.”

Greenland is located on the shortest route from North America to Europe and is of strategic importance to the United States. It is also home to a large U.S. space facility.

The president-elect’s eldest son has played a key role in the 2024 US election, frequently appearing at rallies and in the media.

But he will not travel to Greenland on behalf of his father’s incoming government, according to Denmark’s foreign ministry.

“We are aware of Donald Trump Jr’s planned visit to Greenland. As this is not an official visit from the United States, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no further comment on the visit,” the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs told BBC News.

Hours after President-elect Trump’s latest intervention, the Danish government announced Greenland defense spending increases significantly. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen called the timing of the announcement an “irony of fate.”

Denmark’s King Frederik X changed the royal coat of arms on Monday to more prominently feature images of Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

Some saw it as a rebuke to Trump, but it could also be controversial with Greenland’s separatist movement.

In his New Year’s message, King Frederik said the Kingdom of Denmark was united “all the way to Greenland”, adding “we belong together”.

But Greenland’s prime minister pushed for independence from Denmark in his New Year’s speech, saying the island must break free from the “shackles of colonialism.”

Trump is not the first US president to suggest buying Greenland. The idea was first proposed by Andrew Johnson, the country’s 17th president, in the 1860s.

Additionally, in recent weeks, Trump Threats to regain control of Panama Canalone of the most important waterways in the world. He accused Panama of charging exorbitant fees for entry into the region.

Panama’s president responded that “every square meter” of the canal and surrounding area belongs to Panama.