U.S. Deputy Secretary of State JD Vance will travel to Greenland with his wife, Usha Vance, on Friday. This visit, following former President Donald Trump's previous remarks about acquiring the island, has attracted widespread attention.
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03-31, 2025According to a statement released by the White House, the Vances will travel to Pituffik Space Base to receive briefings on Arctic security issues and meet with U.S. military personnel stationed there. Usha Vance had previously planned a cultural visit to the Danish territory, after which her husband announced plans to join the trip. It has also been reported that Mike Waltz, a national security advisor during the Trump administration, is planning a separate visit this week.
Greenland officials have strongly criticized the planned visit, deeming it disrespectful. Greenland, the world's largest island, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, has been controlled by Denmark for approximately 300 years, with the two countries nearly 3,000 kilometers apart. Greenland has autonomy over domestic affairs, but decision-making power over foreign and defense policies remains in Copenhagen. Since World War II, the United States has maintained a long-standing focus on the region's security interests and military presence.
Pituffik Space Base, located in northwestern Greenland, provides support for missile warning, air defense, and space surveillance missions. In a video posted on social media platform X, Vance said his wife was very excited about the trip to Greenland. He joined the trip because he "didn't want her to have all the fun." He also stated that the visit to the military facility was to check on the island's security because "many other countries threaten Greenland, threaten to use its territory and waterways to threaten the United States, Canada, and of course, the people of Greenland."
Vance added that the Trump administration wanted to "revitalize the security of the people of Greenland" and believes that the United States and Denmark have long neglected this. It is currently unclear whether Mike Waltz still plans to visit. The BBC has contacted the White House for confirmation. Dr. Dwayne Ryan Menezes, founder and executive director of the Polar Research and Policy Initiative think tank in London, criticized the visit, arguing that it is "very unusual" for high-level U.S. officials to visit Greenland uninvited, especially after the country held national elections and parties are still negotiating to form the next government.
Dr. Menezes said that given Greenland's strategic importance, the United States' concern for its security is understandable. However, he added that Washington's taking such an aggressive approach is "baffling," given Trump's previous remarks about acquiring the territory. He also stated that "disrespecting the people of Greenland by saying the U.S. will ‘somehow’ acquire it is unhelpful and counterproductive as a strategy."
According to recent polls, nearly 80% of Greenlanders support independence from Denmark. However, a poll in January of this year showed that more people oppose becoming part of the United States.
