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Donald Trump increased pressure on Denmark to give up control of the US Arctic Island in the US after Vice President JD Vance visited a US military base on the territory.
“For international security, we must have Greenland. It’s not a matter,” Do you think we can do without it? “We can’t,” Trump said in Washington during Vance’s visit.
The US president, who has decided to expand American territory in the heart of his second term foreign policy, said Chinese and Russian ships were “across the country” in the waters around Greenland and Denmark could not be supported to treat it.
Trump said: “Greenland is very important for the peace of the world, not us, the peace of the whole world. And I think Denmark understands it. I think the European Union understands it. And if they do not do it, we will have to explain it.”
Vance traveled to the Pituffik space across the north-west coast of the island on Friday, accompanied by his wife Usha, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Chris Wright, the Secretary of Energy. The trip was escalated from an original plan for the American delegation to visit Nuuk, the island’s capital and to participate in a dog race.
Vance told soldiers and reporters on the basis: “Our argument is very simple – not with the people of Greenland. Really really with the leadership of Denmark which has underestimated in Greenland and the security architecture. In fact it must change.”
He added that the Greenlanders would be better under the US security umbrella than that of Denmark. “We need to be more serious about Greenland’s security. We can’t ignore this place. We can’t ignore the Russian and Chinese Greenland violation,” Vance said.
The US Vice President toned Rhetoric from Trump, who had previously refused to rule out the use of military force to take the island. “We do not think that military force will ever be necessary. We think it makes sense,” Vance said.
He added that he was expecting Greenlanders to resolve independence from Denmark, and then there would be “conversations” with SH.BA
As he arrived at the military base, Vance said to the soldiers there: “Cold is cold like shit here. No one told me.”
Arctic experts say China and Russia both are much more interested in the distant north, but there are few visible signs near Greenland. A Chinese company tried to build several airports in Greenland, but was replaced after Denmark said it would fund them in the country.
Mette FrederiKSEN, the Prime Minister of Denmark, admitted that her country has not spent enough for Arctic security, but criticized Vance’s visit – which was reduced from three days to a few hours to the US Base – as a lack of respect.
Vance’s visit to Greenland came while the island of 57,000 unveiled its new coalition government.
“At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we have to stay together,” said Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the new prime minister.
The new government has said it will seek talks with SH.BA and Denmark about its future.
