Usha Vance said her visit demonstrates efforts to celebrate the “long history of mutual respect and cooperation” between the United States and Greenland.
Second Lady Ushavance will travel to Greenland later this week with her son and US delegation amid President Donald Trump’s interest in acquiring Danish autonomous territory.
They leave on Thursday and return on Saturday. Her office said Vance and the delegation were “thrilled to witness this monumental race and celebrate Greenland’s culture and unity.”
Her visit comes after President Donald Trump suggested that the US should control Danish semi-autonomous territory as a way to enhance domestic and international security.
Related Stories
Prime Minister Greenlandick Mute Egede has questioned the motivation behind Vance’s visit.
Egede specifically expressed concern that national security adviser Mike Waltz could join the Greenland delegation, saying the presence of the waltz could solidify the idea of a Trump takeover.
“What are security advisors doing in Greenland? The only purpose is to show us a demonstration of power and the signal is not misunderstood,” said the Greenland leader.
The White House has not yet confirmed Waltz’s visit to Greenland and did not respond to requests for comment on each publication time.
As Trump’s closest advisor, Egae said the presence of waltz in Greenland “certainly makes Americans believe in Trump’s mission” and “spinning pressure after the visit.”
Greenland has its own government and parliament. Strategic locations near the Arctic Circle make the island essential when it comes to monitoring security in the Arctic region. It is also home to the large-scale Space Force base in the United States.
“I think that’s going to happen,” Trump told reporters. “It’s necessary for international security.”
The Arctic is the shortest route for intercontinental ballistic missiles between the US and Russia, North Korea and China, making Greenland a key forward post base amid rising global competition for power.
Denmark and the United States will be bound by the 1951 defense agreement. This acknowledges Washington’s monopoly management of some of Washington’s state defense zones and its ability to strengthen US surveillance in the Arctic Ocean, which is at the heart of NATO’s Arctic strategy.
During Trump’s first term, his administration sought to strengthen ties with Greenland to counter communist China and Russia’s Arctic activities.
All Greenland’s political parties want independence from Denmark, but have made various suggestions on how to achieve this.
The island is estimated to have more than 41,000 voters, with a total population of just 56,000.
Naveen Athrapplely, Emel Akan and Reuters contributed to this report.
