JD Vance, wife arrived in Greenland after irking officials with diplomatic spat

Trump repeated his desire for U.S. control of Greenland on Wednesday. "I think we have to do it, and we have to convince them,” he said.

Vice President JD Vance, his wife and other senior U.S. officials visited an American military base in Greenland on Friday in a trip that was scaled back after an uproar among Greenlanders and Danes who were irked that the original itinerary was planned without consulting them.

Soon after arriving, Vance briefly addressed U.S. troops stationed at the base as he and his wife sat down to lunch with them, saying that that he’s “really interested in Arctic security.”

“As you all know, it’s a big issue and it’s only going to get bigger over the coming decades,” said Vance, who was scheduled later to receive briefings from military officials and deliver remarks.

The revised trip to the semi-autonomous Danish territory comes as relations between the U.S. and the Nordic country have soured after U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly suggested that the United States should in some form control the mineral-rich territory of Denmark — a traditional U.S. ally and NATO member.

Friday’s one-day visit to the U.S. Space Force outpost at Pituffik, on the northwest coast of Greenland, removed the risk of potentially violating diplomatic custom by sending a delegation to another country without an official invitation. It will also reduce the likelihood that Vance and his wife will cross paths with residents angered by Trump’s announcements.

During his visit, Vance is expected to receive briefings and deliver remarks to U.S. service members on the base, according to the vice president’s office. His delegation includes the national security advisor, Mike Waltz, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, as well as second lady Usha Vance.

According to a senior White House official, Vance is expected to make the case that Danish leaders have “spent decades mistreating the Greenlandic people, treating them like second-class citizens and allowing infrastructure on the island to fall into disrepair.”

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity to preview the vice president’s message, added that Vance would emphasize the importance of bolstering Arctic security in places like Pituffik.