PITUFFIK, GREENLAND – MARCH 28: US Vice President JD Vance speaks on the US army’s Pituffik House Base on March 28, 2025 in Pituffik, Greenland. The itinerary for the go to was scaled again after a plan for a extra in depth journey drew criticism from officers in Greenland and Denmark, which controls international and defence coverage of the semiautonomous territory. (Photograph by Jim Watson – Pool / Getty Photographs)
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Vice President JD Vance on Friday accused Denmark of underinvesting within the safety structure of Greenland as he claimed different European allies had did not preserve tempo with protection spending.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his want to realize management of the autonomous Danish territory, describing the prospect as an “absolute necessity” for functions associated to nationwide safety.
“Denmark hasn’t completed a superb job at preserving Greenland secure,” Vance advised servicemembers on the Pituffik House Base in Greenland on Friday.
“We all know that too usually our allies in Europe haven’t saved tempo, they have not saved tempo with army spending and Denmark has not saved tempo in devoting the assets essential to preserve this base, to maintain our troops, and for my part, to maintain the individuals of Greenland secure from a number of very aggressive incursions from Russia, China and different nations with curiosity on this space,” Vance advised reporters.
The vp stated the mineral-rich island was essential as a result of if a missile was fired from an enemy nation or an enemy submarine into america, it might be the individuals on the base who would alert the U.S.
US Vice President JD Vance (C) poses with Second Girl Usha Vance (2nd L), Nationwide Safety Advisor Mike Waltz (third L), his spouse , former homeland safety advisor, Julia Nesheiwat (L) and Secretary of Power Chris Wright (R) as they tour the US army’s Pituffik House Base on March 28, 2025 in Pituffik, Greenland.
Jim Watson | Getty Photographs
“We all know that Russia and China and different nations are taking a rare curiosity in Arctic passageways and Arctic naval routes and certainly within the minerals of the Arctic territories. We have to be certain that America is main within the Arctic as a result of we all know that if America does not, different nations will fill the hole,” he stated.
Following Vance’s go to, Denmark’s International Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated his nation was “open to criticism” however that they didn’t “admire the tone during which it is being delivered.”
“This isn’t the way you converse to your shut allies,” he stated in a video message shared on the social media platform X.
“We respect that america wants a higher army presence in Greenland, as Vice President Vance talked about this night. We, Denmark and Greenland, are very a lot open to discussing this with you,” Rasmussen stated.
‘Far fetched’ rhetoric
Vance’s go to comes as earlier this week Trump reiterated his want to take over Greenland for nationwide and worldwide safety functions, saying the U.S. would “go so far as we have now to go.”
“We’d like Greenland and the world wants us to have Greenland, together with Denmark,” he stated, referring to the island which is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen condemned the feedback from Trump, saying the “far-fetched” rhetoric was an extra escalation from the U.S.
Each the governments of Greenland and Denmark have repeatedly voiced opposition to Trump’s plans, with Mute Egede, the outgoing prime minister of Greenland, earlier this month saying: “Do not preserve treating us with disrespect. Sufficient is sufficient.”
Elsewhere, Russian President Vladimir Putin this week additionally warned that it might be a “profound mistake” to dismiss Trump’s effort “as some preposterous speak by the brand new U.S. administration.”
Putin flagged that the U.S. had beforehand provided to purchase Greenland and had plans to regulate the territory “way back to the 1860s.”
“Briefly, america has severe plans relating to Greenland. These plans have lengthy historic roots, as I’ve simply talked about, and it’s apparent that america will proceed to constantly advance its geo-strategic, military-political and financial pursuits within the Arctic,” Putin stated.
The U.S.’ preliminary plan for a delegation of officers to go to the island was met with stark criticism from leaders in Denmark and Greenland as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen claimed the plans had been creating “unacceptable stress.”
The journey has since been shortened to a one-day occasion and has been restricted to a go to of the U.S. Pituffik House Base on the island, which is situated distant from the territory’s cities.
Denmark appeared to welcome the adjustments, with the nation’s International Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen suggesting they symbolized a de-escalation.
— CNBC’s Sam Meredith contributed to this report.
