JD Vance to join wife Usha on Greenland visit amid intense political backlash | World News

US Vice-President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, are set to visit Greenland on Friday, drawing sharp criticism from local leaders who have labelled the uninvited visit as “disrespectful.” The visit comes against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks about acquiring the Danish territory, sparking concerns over Washington’s intentions in the Arctic.
Vance, accompanied Usha, will travel to the Pituffik Space Base in north-west Greenland to receive a briefing on Arctic security and meet US military personnel stationed there, the White House confirmed. The base, a key American installation, supports missile warning, air defense, and space surveillance missions in the region.
In a video posted on X, Vance said he decided to join his wife on her pre-planned cultural visit to Greenland because he “didn’t want her to have all that fun herself.” However, he stressed that his visit also had a security agenda, citing growing threats to Greenland’s territories and waterways.

Looking forward to visiting Greenland on Friday!🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/p3HslD3hhP
— JD Vance (@JDVance) March 25, 2025
“A lot of other countries have threatened Greenland, have threatened to use its territories and its waterways to threaten the United States, to threaten Canada, and of course, to threaten the people of Greenland,” Vance said, adding that the Trump adminration is determined to “reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland.”
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The White House had earlier announced a cultural visit of Second Lady Usha Vance to Greenland even as the country’s Prime Miner Mute Egede condemned the plans for high-profile visits, and termed it as “highly aggressive”.
Greenland, the world’s largest island situated between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, has been under Danish control for about 300 years. While it manages its domestic affairs, foreign and defense policies remain under Copenhagen’s jurisdiction.
The US has maintained a security presence on the island since World War II, but the sudden surge in high-level American interest has triggered unease among Greenlandic authorities.
Public sentiment in Greenland has consently favoured independence from Denmark, with recent polls suggesting that nearly 80 per cent of Greenlanders back the idea. However, an opinion survey conducted in January showed that an even higher percentage of Greenlanders rejected the idea of becoming part of the United States, the BBC reported.Story continues below this ad
Since coming to power for a second term, Trump had escalated his campaign to annex the island with the support of NATO. “I think we are going to have it (Greenland),” Trump has said on several occasions amid intense backlash from Danish and Greenlandic leaders.
The timing of visit has further fuelled concerns, as Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is also expected to visit Greenland this week on a separate trip.