Usha Vance, wife of US Vice President J.D. Vance, travels to Greenland this week as President Donald Trump sticks to the idea of annexing the US of strategic, semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Vance will visit Greenland on Thursday, tour the historic sites, learn about territorial heritage and attend the National Dog Tribe, the White House said in a statement.
The delegation will return to the United States on March 29th. White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and energy secretary Chris Wright will also travel to Greenland to visit US military bases in Greenland. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Since taking office for the second time on January 20, Trump has made the annexation of Greenland a big topic and has said he will become part of the United States.
I'll talk to Greenlandick on Sunday Newspaper SermitsiaqGreenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede said the Waltz visit was a “provocation.”
“The sole purpose is to demonstrate power to us, and the signal is not to be misunderstood,” he said. “He is Trump's secret and closest advisor, and his presence in Greenland alone will certainly make Americans believe in Trump's mission and pressure will increase after the visit.”
Greenland's strategic location and abundant mineral resources could benefit the United States. It is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is essential for the US ballistic missile warning system.
Both Greenland and Denmark governments have expressed their opposition to such moves.
The Greenland government, in its caretaker era, did not reply to requests for comment after the March 11 general election won by a party that supports a slow approach to independence from Denmark.
“This is what we take seriously,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a written comment in response to the news of the visit. She said that Denmark wants to work with the United States, but should be based on the “basic rules of sovereignty.”
She added that the dialogue with the US on Greenland will be held in close cooperation with the Danish government and the future Greenland government.
Reuters and
