US Vice President JD VANCE will join his wife, Osha, to travel to Greenland on Friday, a visit to Donald Trump's threats to control the island.
The couple will go to the Pitufik Space base to receive a briefing on Arctic security issues and meet the members of the American forces stationed there, according to the White House.
Usha Vans had planned to travel to Danish lands on a cultural visit before her husband announced his plans. Trump's national security advisor is scheduled to visit Mike Walz this week on a separate trip.
Greenland officials strongly criticized the planned visits as unauthorized.
Greenland – the largest island in the world, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean – dominated by Denmark, about 3000 km (1860 miles), for a period of 300 years.
It governs its local affairs, but decisions are taken on foreign and defense policy in Copenhagen. The United States has long held a security interest and a military presence there since World War II.
The Pitufik Space base, in the northwest of Greenland, supports missile warning, air defense and space control.
In a video posted on the X social media platform, Vans said there was a lot of excitement about his wife's trip to Greenland. He joins her because he “does not want her to get all this fun by herself.”
He said that the visit of the military confirmation is to verify the security of the island, as “many other countries threatened Greenland, threatened to use their lands and waterways to threaten the United States, and the threat of Canada, and of course, threatening the people of Greenland.”
He added that the Trump administration wants to “revitalize the security of the people of Greenland”, and that the United States and Denmark have ignored this “long ago.”
It is not clear whether Mike Walz is still to be visited. BBC has reached the White House to confirm.
The visit was criticized by Dr. Dwayne Ryan Menezes, founder and administrative director of the Polar Research and Policy Initiative, based in London.
He said that it is “unusual” for a high -level delegation of US officials Greenland without inviting them, especially after the national elections in the country, as the parties are still holding talks to form the next government.
He said that the US interest in Greenland's security, given its strategic importance, is logical. But he added that it was “unacceptable” for Washington, DC, if you followed such an aggressive approach, especially in light of Trump's comments about obtaining the region.
“Greenland's residents are not respectful by saying that the United States will get it” in one way or another, “unhelpful and tactic,” he added.
According to recent opinion polls, approximately 80 % of Greenlands repeat independence from Denmark. But the poll in January suggested a greater number that rejected the idea of becoming part of the United States.
