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Over the last month, President-elect Donald J. Trump has repeatedly discussed his desire for the United States to purchase Greenland, and during a long news conference on Tuesday he refused to rule out using military force<\/a> to accomplish that goal.<\/p>\n In a far more subtle act of geopolitics that came ahead of Mr. Trump\u2019s remarks, Denmark\u2019s newly proclaimed king, Frederik X<\/a>, implemented changes to the Danish royal coat of arms that reaffirm his kingdom\u2019s commitment to Greenland, a sovereign territory.<\/p>\n The Danish royal coat of arms \u2014 a more elaborate symbol than the kingdom\u2019s national coat of arms \u2014 had previously featured a panel with three crowns that represent the Kalmar Union between Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Those crowns have now been removed, with separate panels being dedicated to Greenland (represented by a polar bear) and the Faroe Islands (represented by a ram). In the previous royal coat of arms, Greenland\u2019s polar bear was in the same lower left panel, but was far smaller.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n A statement<\/a> from The Royal House of Denmark said of the new design that \u201cthe Faroe Islands and Greenland have each gotten their own field, which strengthens the Realm\u2019s prominence in the royal coat of arms.\u201d The royal symbol is a coat of arms for the king\u2019s personal use, and also a state symbol.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n According to the statement, the royal coat of arms received a public showing last week when it was featured on a flag raised at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen for the royal family\u2019s New Year\u2019s banquet, where it also appeared on royal vehicles as guests arrived.<\/p>\n Lars Hovbakke Sorensen, an expert on the Danish royal family, said in an interview with TV 2<\/a> that the design alteration\u2019s understated nature didn\u2019t make it less of a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is important to signal from the Danish side that Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of the Danish realm, and that this is not up for discussion,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is how you mark it.\u201d<\/p>\n If tweaking a heraldic design seems like a restrained way to convey a political message, Mr. Trump in comparison has been anything but subdued in stressing his interest<\/a> in American territorial expansion into Greenland<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In a Truth Social post last month, in which he announced that he was appointing Ken Howery, the diplomat and a co-founder of PayPal, as his choice for ambassador to Denmark, Mr. Trump said: \u201cFor purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n He stressed his intent again in a post on Monday, in which he said that his son, Donald Trump Jr., would soon be traveling to Greenland. \u201cGreenland is an incredible place,\u201d he said, \u201cand the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation.\u201d<\/p>\n When the younger Mr. Trump arrived<\/a> in the island\u2019s capital of Nuuk on Tuesday, along with an entourage that included the conservative activist Charlie Kirk, he told reporters awaiting him at the airport that he was making a brief visit as a tourist.<\/p>\n But his visit was seen by some in the region as a provocation. Spurred to comment more directly, perhaps in a way that redesigning a royal coat of arms can\u2019t, Denmark\u2019s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, addressed<\/a> the public in a television appearance.<\/p>\n \u201cGreenland belongs to the people of Greenland,\u201d she said. \u201cOur future and fight for independence is our business.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n