Vice President JD Vance, his wife and other senior U.S. officials visited an American military base in Greenland on Friday in a trip that was scaled back after an uproar among Greenlanders and Danes who were irked that the original itinerary was planned without consulting them.
Soon after arriving, Vance briefly addressed U.S. troops stationed at the base as he and his wife sat down to lunch with them, saying that that he’s “really interested in Arctic security."
“As you all know, it’s a big issue and it’s only going to get bigger over the coming decades,” said Vance, who was scheduled later to receive briefings from military officials and deliver remarks.
The revised trip to the semi-autonomous Danish territory comes as relations between the U.S. and the Nordic country have soured after U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly suggested that the United States should in some form control the mineral-rich territory of Denmark — a traditional U.S. ally and NATO member.
Friday's one-day visit to the U.S. Space Force outpost at Pituffik, on the northwest coast of Greenland, removed the risk of potentially violating diplomatic custom by sending a delegation to another country without an official invitation. It will also reduce the likelihood that Vance and his wife will cross paths with residents angered by Trump’s announcements.
During his visit, Vance was expected to receive briefings and deliver remarks to U.S. service members on the base, according to the vice president's office. His delegation includes the national security advisor, Mike Waltz, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, as well as second lady Usha Vance.
According to a senior White House official, Vance was expected to make the case that Danish leaders have “spent decades mistreating the Greenlandic people, treating them like second-class citizens and allowing infrastructure on the island to fall into disrepair."
The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity to preview the vice president’s message, added that Vance would emphasize the importance of bolstering Arctic security in places like Pituffik.
Ahead of Vance's arrival, four of the five parties elected to Greenland's parliament earlier this month signed an agreement to form a new, broad-based coalition government. The parties banded together in the face of Trump's designs on the territory.
“It is a time when we as a population are under pressure,” the prime minister-designate, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said before the accord was signed to applause and cheers in the capital, Nuuk.
He added that “we must stick together. Together we are strongest,” Greenland broadcaster KNR reported.
In a post on Instagram, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen congratulated Nielsen and his incoming government, and said that “I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-filled time.”
Frederiksen said on Tuesday that the U.S. visit, which was originally set for three days, created “unacceptable pressure." She has said that Denmark wants to work with the U.S. on defense and security, but Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.
Initially, Usha Vance had announced a solo trip to the Avannaata Qimussersu dogsled race in Sisimiut. Her husband then subsequently said he would join her on that trip, only to change that itinerary again — after protests from Greenland and Denmark — to a one-day visit of the couple to the military post only.
Nonetheless, in an interview on Wednesday, Trump repeated his desire for U.S. control of Greenland. Asked if the people there were “eager” to become U.S. citizens, Trump said he didn’t know “but I think we have to do it, and we have to convince them.”
Inhabitants of Nuuk, which is about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) south of Pituffik, voiced concern about Vance's visit and the U.S. interest in their island.
Cora Høy, 22, said Vance was “welcome if he wants to see it but of course Greenland is not for sale.” She added that “it’s not normal around here” with all the attention Greenland is getting. "I feel now every day is about (Trump) and I just want to get away from it.”
“It’s all a bit crazy. Of course the population here is a bit shook up,” said 30-year-old Inuk Kristensen. "My opinion is the same as everyone’s: Of course you don’t do things this way. You don’t just come here and say that you want to buy the place.”
As the nautical gateway to the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America, Greenland has broader strategic value as both China and Russia seek access to its waterways and natural resources.
During his first term, Trump floated the idea of purchasing the world’s largest island, even as Denmark insisted it wasn’t for sale. The people of Greenland also have firmly rejected Trump’s plans.
Vance has several times criticized long-standing European allies for relying on military support from the United States, openly antagonizing partners in ways that have generated concerns about the reliability of the U.S.