Uninvited guests Trump's Vice Vance wants to accompany his wife to Greenland to see what's going on
The Vances want to travel to Greenland together in the next few days - even though no one has asked them to. Donald Trump's vice president says he wants to go there to see what's going on.
26.03.2025, 06:12
26.03.2025, 06:17
dpa
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- US Vice President J.D. Vance wants to accompany his wife Usha on a controversial visit to Greenland.
- Greenland was less than pleased about the visit.
- The background to this are Trump's repeated statements that he would like to take control of the huge island in the North Atlantic.
- Vance said that he wanted to meet representatives of the US Space Force during his visit to Greenland and see "what the security situation in Greenland is like".
US Vice President J.D. Vance wants to accompany his wife Usha on a controversial visit to Greenland. "There was so much excitement about our visit to Greenland this Friday - that's why I decided I didn't want her to have all the fun alone," announced President Donald Trump's deputy in a video on the X platform. So he will be traveling there together with his wife.
Usha Vance's travel plans had recently made headlines. Greenland was less than pleased about the visit. The background to this are Trump's repeated statements that he would like to take control of the huge island in the North Atlantic.
Buy it or simply take control?
Greenland belongs to Denmark. The island is close to North America, which arouses geopolitical interests. In terms of area, Greenland is six times the size of Germany, but only has a population equivalent to a medium-sized German city such as Baden-Baden or Frankfurt an der Oder. The island is of great importance for military control of the Arctic and is also rich in raw materials such as rare earths. Important shipping routes also run through the region.
Trump has had his eye on Greenland for a long time. During his first term in office (2017 to 2021), he suggested that the USA could simply buy the island. The Greenlanders rejected this indignantly at the time. In his second term of office, he has now reasserted his claim to control the island and has repeated his desire to make it American territory in recent months. Trump justifies this either with the national or international security of the USA. With this in mind, his son Donald Jr. had already traveled to the Greenlandic capital Nuuk for a day at the beginning of January - which also caused a stir.
Guests without invitation
Donald Trump recently claimed that Usha Vance's planned visit was by invitation. However, the caretaker government of Greenland made it clear that it had not invited anyone - neither for a private nor an official visit. Greenlandic politicians are in the process of forming a new government following the parliamentary elections on March 11. Local elections will also be held on the island on April 1.
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also complained that Usha Vance's visit was obviously not about what Greenland needs or wants. Frederiksen spoke of unacceptable pressure being exerted on Greenland and Denmark. Nato partner Denmark points out that the citizens of the largely autonomous Greenland can decide for themselves about their future and their possible independence from the Danish kingdom.
"See what the security situation is like"
According to official information, Usha Vance had originally planned to visit historical sites with her son and companions, learn more about Greenland's heritage and attend a traditional dog sled race. Now, not only has the travel delegation changed, but also the program: according to the White House, the visit to the dog sled race has been cancelled. Instead, a meeting between the Vances and US forces is planned. A troop visit is also possible without an invitation from the host country.
Trump's Vice President Vance said that he wanted to meet representatives of the US Space Force during the visit to Greenland and see "what the security situation is like in Greenland". Many other countries have threatened Greenland - and also threatened to use its territories and waterways to take action against the USA and Canada. "So we will check how things are going there," he added. Politicians in the US and Denmark have ignored Greenland for far too long, he lamented.