A senior Danish government official has strongly advised U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, not to visit Greenland, just ahead of their expected arrival on Friday.
The visit, which was originally scheduled to include broader diplomatic engagements, has now been drastically scaled down following mounting international backlash. The couple will now only stop at Pituffik, a remote U.S. military base located in northwestern Greenland, as part of the reduced itinerary.
According to The Guardian UK, the visit is under close scrutiny from leaders in Nuuk and Copenhagen, who have voiced their disapproval over the timing and implications of the trip.
The controversy comes amid ongoing tensions fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring Greenland. Despite widespread criticism, Trump has stood firm on the issue, stating:
“We will go as far as we have to go” to gain control of the island which he claimed the US “needs” for national and international security.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory under the Kingdom of Denmark, has long maintained its status, and Danish officials have not taken kindly to the renewed push for U.S. acquisition.
One unnamed official in Copenhagen expressed discontent over the visit, saying:
“It’s safe to say we would rather not have him [Vance] in Greenland.”
In response to Trump’s remarks, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made her position clear on Thursday:
“Greenland is part of the Danish kingdom. That is not going to change… Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”
Meanwhile, Denmark’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen also dismissed the visit’s diplomatic relevance, making it clear that Vance’s presence at Pituffik would not be met with any Danish political reception.
“This is about an American vice-president who is going to visit his own military installation in Greenland. It has nothing to do with us,” he said.
As tensions remain high, the scaled-back visit highlights the diplomatic sensitivities surrounding Greenland’s strategic significance and national sovereignty.
