Greenland PM Complains About Usha Vance’s Upcoming Visit, Says ‘American Aggression Will Increase’

Greenland Prime Minister Mute B. Egede accused the United States of ramping up “aggression” on Sunday as Second Lady Usha Vance and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz plan to visit the territory later this week.

Vance and her delegation will attend Greenland’s national dogsled race, the Avannaata Qimussersu, and visit “historical sites.” President Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor, Waltz, will also be part of the delegation, a move that Egede believes is a provocation by the Trump administration. The U.S. delegation to Greenland comes as Trump continues to push for the Danish territory to become part of the United States.

“We are now at a level where it can in no way be characterized as a harmless visit from a politician’s wife,” Egede told Greenland newspaper Sermitsiaq, adding, “Because what is the security advisor doing in Greenland? The only purpose is to show a demonstration of power to us, and the signal is not to be misunderstood.”

During his visit, Waltz will tour a U.S. military base in Greenland alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright, The New York Times reported. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said, “The United States has a vested security interest in the Arctic region, and it should not be a surprise the national security adviser and secretary of energy are visiting a U.S. space base to get firsthand briefings from our service members on the ground.”

“We also look forward to experiencing Greenland’s famous hospitality and are confident that this visit presents an opportunity to build on partnerships that respects Greenland’s self-determination and advances economic cooperation,” Hughes added. “This is a visit to learn about Greenland, its culture, history and people.”

Egede claimed that Waltz’s presence in Greenland would add fuel to the fire for Trump’s goal of taking over the territory and criticized Greenland’s allies for not speaking up more to counter the Trump administration’s suggestions about taking over the territory.

“Yes, the Western allies stood together and helped each other through thick and thin, but it has turned upside down now with the sitting president in the USA,” he said. “But the fact that our other allies in the international community feel like hiding in a small corner and almost whispering that they support us has no effect, and if they do not speak out loudly about how the USA is treating Greenland, the situation will escalate day by day, and the American aggression will increase.”

Trump has said that Greenland would “benefit tremendously” by becoming part of the United States, but in January, Egede responded to Trump’s repeated suggestions, stating, “We don’t want to be a part of the U.S., but we want strong cooperation together with the U.S.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also expressed concern over the U.S. delegation to Greenland, saying the visit “cannot be seen in isolation from the public statements that have been made.”

“This is something we take seriously,” Frederiksen added.