Vice President JD Vance and First Lady Usha Vance to Make Brief Visit to U.S. Military Base in Greenland

Vice President JD Vance and First Lady Usha Vance to Make Brief Visit to U.S. Military Base in Greenland

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife will visit a U.S. military base in Greenland on Friday. However, their original visit has been shortened following widespread discussions, as the people of Greenland and Denmark expressed dissatisfaction that the trip had been planned without consulting them.

Relations between the U.S. and Greenland became strained after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his desire to formally bring Greenland under U.S. control. Greenland, which is an autonomous region of Denmark, has traditionally been a U.S. ally and a NATO member state.

Vance and his wife’s trip has now been reduced to a one-day visit to the U.S. Space Force outpost at Pituffik. This will avoid diplomatic protocol violations by sending a delegation without an official invitation from another country.

Among the five political parties in Greenland's parliament, four have united to form a new coalition government against Trump's plans. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Vance’s visit had "created unacceptable pressure." She added, "We really want to work with the Americans on defense and security, but Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland."

Initially, Usha Vance had announced an individual visit to the dog sled race in Sisimiut, but after protests, her husband Vance announced that he would join her. However, the trip was later altered to a one-day visit to the military base.

Residents of Greenland's capital, Nuuk, have expressed concerns about Vance’s visit. 22-year-old Kora Høy said, "If he wants to see, he is welcome, but Greenland is not for sale." 30-year-old Inuk Christensen said, "My opinion is like everyone else’s: you can’t do something like this. You can’t come here and say you want to buy it."

Greenland holds significant strategic value, as China and Russia have shown interest in its waterways and natural resources. Trump had proposed buying the world’s largest island during his first term, but Denmark has denied that it is for sale.

Vance has repeatedly criticized European allies for their reliance on U.S. military support, raising concerns about U.S. credibility.

Protesters in Copenhagen, Denmark, have announced a rally in front of the American embassy on Saturday to oppose Trump’s Greenland control plan.