Nuuk (TDI): Greenland’s politicians have condemned plans for high-profile US visits, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s threats to take over the island.
Second Lady Usha Vance will make a cultural visit this week, and a separate trip is expected from Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
Greenland Prime Minister Mute B. Egede called the US delegation’s trip to the island “highly aggressive” in an interview with Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq on Sunday, and raised particular objection to the delegation’s visit.
Meanwhile, the island’s likely next leader accused the US of showing a lack of respect.
— Second Lady Usha Vance (@SLOTUS) March 23, 2025
Greenland – the world’s biggest island, situated between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans – has been controlled by Denmark, nearly 3,000km (1,860 miles) away, for about 300 years.
It governs its own domestic affairs, but decisions on foreign and defense policy are made in Copenhagen.
The US has long held a security interest – and has had a military base on the island since World War Two.
It is also thought Trump is interested in the island’s rare earth minerals. His son Donald Jr visited Greenland before Trump’s inauguration in January.
Usha Vance delegation – including her son – would be there to “celebrate Greenlandic culture and unity”, the statement said.
Trump appeared to escalate his campaign to take over the island during a conversation with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte earlier this month.
Greenland was already on the defensive about Trump’s talk of a takeover, but he sent further shockwaves by implying he might ask to take the island with support of NATO, a military alliance of which Denmark is also a part.
Read More: Rubio: Trump’s Greenland bid is serious
In recent elections in Greenland, the pro-business Demokraatit party secured a victory, signaling a potential shift in the island’s governance.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the party’s leader and likely the next Prime Minister, has emphasized Greenland’s desire for sovereignty and expressed concerns over external influences.
This political change underscores Greenland’s ongoing journey toward greater autonomy and self-determination.
The move prompted Greenland’s leading political parties to issue a joint statement to condemn the American president’s “unacceptable behavior”.
The issue took centre-stage in the recent election, during which Egede’s governing Inuit Ataqatigiit party was defeated in a surprise result by Nielsen’s Democratic party, which favours a gradual approach to independence from Denmark.
Read More: Denmark increases Arctic’s security as US eyes Greenland
Earlier this month, during a speech to the US Congress, Trump said he strongly supported the people of Greenland’s right to determine their own future.
“If you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America,” he said.
Areeba Kanwal is a contributor at The Diplomatic Insight and has passion for International Relations and diplomacy.
