U.S. Vice President JD Vance, during his visit to Greenland on Friday, criticised Denmark for failing to adequately protect the semi-autonomous territory and its people from incursions by China and Russia, reaffirming America’s respect for Greenland’s sovereignty and encouraging its people to strengthen ties with the United States.
Vance said the United States does not have immediate plans to expand the U.S. military presence on the ground in Greenland but will invest in resources, including additional naval ships.
Underdevelopment
“Denmark has not kept pace and devoted the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view, to keep the people of Greenland safe from a lot of very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China and other nations,” Vance said. He gave no details of the alleged incursions.
The U.S. vice president said Russia, China and other nations are taking an “extraordinary interest” in Arctic passageways, naval routes and minerals in the region, and the U.S. will invest more resources, including naval ships and military icebreakers that will have a greater presence in the country.
‘Lack Of Respect’
Greenland’s new prime minister said the U.S. visit signalled a “lack of respect” and called for unity in the face of “pressure from outside”.
Denmark’s king issued a statement of support on social media. “We live in an altered reality. There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact,” King Frederik said.
JD Vance delivered remarks during his visit to the U.S. military base at Pituffik in the north of Greenland, which came just hours after a new broad government coalition that aims to keep ties with Denmark for now, was presented in the capital, Nuuk.
He greeted members of the U.S. armed forces shortly after his arrival, thanking them for their service on the remote base located 750 miles (1,200 km) north of the Arctic Circle. The outside temperature at Pituffik was minus 3 degrees Fahrenheit (-19 C).
US ‘Respects’ Greenland’s Sovereignty
Vance also pledged that the people of Greenland will have “self-determination” and the U.S. will respect its sovereignty.
“We hope that they choose to partner with the United States, because we’re the only nation on earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security, because their security is very much our security,” Vance said.
As Vance’s visit was underway, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House the United States needs Greenland to ensure “peace of the entire world.”
“We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security. We have to have Greenland. It’s not a question of, ‘Do you think we can do without it?’ We can’t,” Trump said.
Chinese And Russian Influence
Trump said Greenland’s waterways have “Chinese and Russian ships all over the place” and the United States will not rely on Denmark or anybody else to handle the situation.
Denmark and the European Union understand why Greenland is important for peace around the world, “and if they don’t, we’re going to have to explain it to them,” Trump added.
The U.S. delegation also includes Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Changed Travel Plan
The initial plan for the trip had been for Vance’s wife to visit a dog-sled race on the island together with Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark.
Public protests and outrage from authorities in both Greenland and Denmark prompted the U.S. delegation to only fly to the military base and not meet the public.
Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the U.S. is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the U.S. ballistic missile warning system.
The island, whose capital is closer to New York than it is to the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow, and the mining sector has seen very limited U.S. investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.
A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the U.S. economy.
(With inputs from Reuters)
