Vice President JD Vance’s trip has been scaled back from original plans to tour the island more widely after a row with the governments of Greenland and Denmark over a lack of invitation
JD Vance and wife arrive in Greenland
JD Vance touched down in Greenland for what is described as a hostile visit after Donald Trump claimed the US will inevitably take over the island. Vladimir Putin has warned that US threats to take over the island should be taken seriously.
The US Vice President and his wife, Usha, arrived for the trip, which was scaled back after an uproar from islanders and Danes who were furious that the original itinerary was planned without consulting them. The couple’s revised trip to the semi-autonomous Danish territory came as relations between the US and Nordic countries have soured after Trump repeatedly suggested that the States should control the mineral-rich territory.
The US president’s hostile view stems from his demand that control of Greenland is essential “for national security and international security”. Today’s one-day visit to the US Space Force outpost at Pituffik, on the northwest coast of Greenland, removed the risk of violating potential diplomatic taboos by sending a delegation to another country without an official invitation.
It also reduced the likelihood that Vance and his wife would cross paths with residents angered by Trump’s annexation announcements. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that the visit, which was initially set for three days, created “unacceptable pressure”.
On Thursday, Danish public broadcaster DR quoted her as saying: “We really want to work with the Americans on defence and security in the kingdom. But Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”
Earlier this week, it was announced that the US vice president’s wife, Usha Vance, would spend several days on the island, visiting the capital Nuuk and attending cultural events like a popular annual dogsled race. The White House later said the vice-president would join his wife but that the couple would only spend a day there visiting the US Pituffik Space Base.
Denmark welcomed the changes, with Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen saying the decision was “very positive” and that Denmark had “nothing against” the Americans visiting their own base.
Although Vance is the highest-ranking US official to visit Greenland, touring a US base is less controversial than the original plan for his wife’s visit, which Greenland’s acting head of government Mute Egede had called a “provocation”.
In recent weeks, thousands of people have participated in demonstrations against the US, with some holding placards reading “Respect international agreements” and “Yankee go home.”
Many Americans have even voiced their disdain for Trump’s demands. Scholars at the Cato Institute have said acquiring Greenland would not be in the States’ interest.
Doug Bandow, a senior fellow, expressed scepticism. “Making America Great Again would be better achieved by shrinking rather than expanding the nation’s borders,” he said.
“The US already is too large for genuine republican government. And the ability to meddle overseas has led America into an increasing number of reckless military interventions, such as in Iraq.”
Speaking at a policy forum in the Arctic port of Murmansk, Putin noted the US first considered plans to win control over Greenland in the 19th century, and then offered to buy it from Denmark after World War Two.
“It can look surprising only at first glance and it would be wrong to believe that this is some sort of extravagant talk by the current US administration,” Mr Putin said.
“It’s obvious that the United States will continue to systematically advance its geostrategic, military-political and economic interests in the Arctic.”
