This week, Second Lady Usha Vance was set to embark on a cultural journey to Greenland, which included attending a traditional dogsled race with one of her children. However, the plans have dramatically shifted. Now, Vice President JD Vance will accompany his wife on a one-day tour of the isolated U.S. space base, designed to defend America against ballistic missile attacks. This change means the Vances will remain within a U.S. facility, potentially providing some relief for the Greenlanders who were uneasy about the original itinerary.
The locals in Greenland expressed dissatisfaction with the original plans for the Vances' visit. Their concerns were echoed by the Danish government, which oversees the semiautonomous territory, previously a colony. The backdrop to this shifting travel itinerary can be traced back to President Donald Trump’s controversial statements about making Greenland a part of the United States. Earlier this month, Trump told Congress that the U.S. needs to “get” Greenland, causing anxiety among Greenlanders. His administration has oscillated between veiled threats and promises of prosperity, making locals wary.
In January, Trump sent his son, Donald Trump Jr., to Greenland for a brief visit, where his entourage distributed free food and MAGA merchandise to a handful of residents. This gesture was largely dismissed by the Greenlanders as a poorly conceived publicity stunt. Trump has argued that Greenland holds significant importance for U.S. national security, emphasizing its vast mineral wealth, which includes critical and rare earth elements essential for modern technologies such as batteries, smartphones, and electric vehicles.
With a population of around 56,000, Greenland occupies a strategic location in the North Atlantic, lying between North America and Europe. This position has gained heightened significance amidst the increasing competition from China, Russia, and the U.S. in the rapidly melting Arctic region. The Vances’ visit, previously billed as private, was to include a high-level delegation, which raised eyebrows among Greenland officials who are currently engaged in government formation negotiations following a recent election.
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, accused the U.S. of “foreign interference,” stating that the planned visit could not be characterized as a harmless trip from a politician’s spouse. Egede asserted that the primary aim of the visit was to showcase power over Greenland. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also criticized the Trump administration, asserting that it was exerting “unacceptable pressure” on both Denmark and Greenland, adding that such pressure would be resisted.
Hours after Frederiksen’s comments, Vice President Vance announced he would accompany Usha Vance on her trip. In a video posted on X, he expressed his desire not to let his wife experience the excitement alone, stating, “We want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it’s important to protecting the security of the entire world.”
The Vances are scheduled to visit only northwestern Greenland, specifically the Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base. This base operates a network of early-warning radars and sensors designed to detect incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles. The U.S. military presence in Greenland has significantly diminished from a peak of 10,000 troops during the Cold War to about 200 today, supported by local personnel and tech contractors.
In a statement, the White House emphasized that neglect from both Danish leaders and past U.S. administrations has allowed adversaries to advance their own interests in Greenland and the Arctic. They asserted that President Trump is “rightly changing course” to address these issues.
Following the announcement of the vice president's visit, Greenland's interim government expressed relief that the U.S. delegation's previously scheduled visit to Nuuk and Sisimiut, the site of the dogsled races, had been canceled. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen commented positively on the change, stating, “I think it’s very positive that the Americans canceled their visit to the Greenlandic society.” He noted that the vehicles intended for Usha Vance’s tour were being returned to the U.S.
Some Danish politicians suggested that the Americans might have avoided the dogsled races out of self-interest, as they could have faced protests from locals expressing sentiments like “Yankees, go home.” The evolving dynamics surrounding the Vances’ visit highlight the complex relationships and geopolitical interests at play in Greenland and the Arctic region.
