Trump doubles down on efforts to control Greenland, citing economic and security importance

The Trump administration appears to be intensifying its efforts to take over Greenland. On Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance announced that he would travel to the island later this week, despite local officials stating that they do not want a high-profile American visit at the moment. 

This trip is part of a larger effort that President Trump has described as wanting Greenland “one way or the other,” a stance that has already stirred concern among officials in Denmark and Greenland. Washington officials continue to emphasize the strategic and economic importance of the Arctic, citing missile defense and possible future shipping routes as factors in their interest. 

Earlier, during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump said that the US needs Greenland for international security. 

His words, “That whole area is becoming very important and for a lot of reasons. The routes are, you know, very direct to Asia, to Russia, and you have ships all over the place, and we have to have protection. So, we’re going to have to make a deal on that.”

On Wednesday, Trump confirmed that JD Vance and his team are on a mission to let “them [Denmark] know that we need Greenland for international safety and security.” During a Rumble interview with Vince Coglianese, conservative talk show host, Trump said, “It’s an island that from a defensive posture, and even offensive posture, is something we need, especially with the world the way it is, and we’re going to have to have it.”

The President clarified that it is not his main concern whether or not Greenlanders choose to become Americans. He said, “I don’t know. I don’t think they’re un-eager, but I think that we have to do it, and we have to convince them.”

Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, has seen a surge of anti-Trump sentiment in recent weeks. Local activists have said they are set to protest any American delegation’s arrival, beginning with demonstrations at the international airport in Nuuk, the capital. However, current indications suggest the Vances might skip Nuuk altogether.

Vance’s visit replaces earlier plans for Michael Waltz to make the trip

At first, the plan was for Waltz to visit Pituffik Space Base, which is seen by Washington as vital to the United States’ missile defense system. But Waltz is now entangled in a separate issue involving his use of a commercial messaging app ‘Signal‘ to discuss sensitive military plans.

The White House released a statement on Tuesday afternoon explaining that Vice President Vance, accompanied by Usha Vance, would visit Pituffik Space Base, located far above the Arctic Circle. The statement said the reason for the stop was “to receive a briefing on Arctic security issues and meet with U.S. service members.” Vance himself wrote online that he would be headed to Greenland “just to check out what’s going on with the security there of Greenland.”

🚨🇺🇸 VP VANCE: I’LL VISIT GREENLAND BECAUSE SECURITY OF THE WORLD STARTS THERE

“I'm going to visit some of our guardians in the Space Force on the northwest coast of Greenland and also just check out what's going on with the security there of Greenland.

A lot of other countries… https://t.co/OyGocX2vRy pic.twitter.com/2Uu5x46XqO

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 25, 2025

Earlier, the Trump administration said that Usha Vance and her son would attend a dog sled race in Sisimiut, one of Greenland’s larger towns. The trip was billed as a family outing but with a large US delegation. This plan was controversial from the start.

The organizers of the race released a statement on Sunday saying that while they welcome all spectators, they had never asked the American delegation to come. A spokeswoman for Usha Vance responded that the second lady had “multiple invitations for her attendance to the Greenland national dog sled race,” but by Tuesday, officials announced she would no longer go to Sisimiut.

Greenland’s aren’t going to take the U.S. visit lightly

Greenland’s officials say they did not invite any U.S. delegation. Yet they point out that they have little power to stop American visitors from going to Pituffik, since the United States and Denmark have a defense agreement that allows U.S. forces to occupy the site. For that reason, analysts predict the Vances will fly directly to the remote base, located about 1,000 miles north of Nuuk, avoiding the simmering tensions in the capital.

“We’ve asked for peace and quiet and no international visits while negotiations are ongoing, and that should be respected,” said Pipaluk Lynge-Rasmussen, a leading member of the departing ruling party. She explained that any high-profile delegation brings pressure and intense media attention that can disrupt local politics.

Some analysts in Denmark characterized the sudden switch to sending the vice president as a further sign of U.S. resolve to stake a claim in Greenland. Lars Trier Mogensen, a political commentator in Copenhagen, called it “an escalation” and argued that JD Vance’s presence signals a bigger show of force than Waltz’s or Usha Vance’s would have. He also likened it to scenarios in which lines “between diplomacy and provocation” are blurred, drawing parallels to how Russia treated Crimea before and after its annexation in 2014.

Others saw this shift as a step back from any direct confrontation with Greenlandic residents. Ulrik Pram Gad, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, noted that canceling a stop in Nuuk might be seen as a move to avoid inflaming tensions. “If the visit to Nuuk has been canceled,” Gad said, “the Trump administration may be stepping back by avoiding imposing itself on civilian Greenland. Focusing solely on the military base brings the conversation back to security.”

Meanwhile, leaders in Denmark have renewed discussions about how to handle what they view as the White House’s drive to control Greenland’s future.

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