Greenlandic leaders criticised a planned trip this week by a high-profile US delegation to the semi-autonomous Danish territory that President Donald Trump has suggested the United States should annex.
The delegation, which will visit a US military base and watch a dogsled race, will be led by Usha Vance, wife of US vice-president JD Vance, and include White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and energy secretary Chris Wright.
Mr Trump has made US annexation of Greenland a big talking point since his eldest son, Donald Trump jnr, paid a private visit to the vast, mineral-rich island in January.
Greenland’s outgoing prime minister Mute Egede called the delegation’s visit, which runs from Thursday to Saturday, a “provocation” and said his caretaker government would not meet with it.
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“Until recently, we could trust the Americans, who were our allies and friends, and with whom we enjoyed working closely,” Mr Egede told local newspaper Sermitsiaq. “But that time is over.”
The Greenlandic government, Naalakkersuisut, is in a caretaker phase following a March 11th parliamentary election won by the Democrats, a pro-business party that favours a slow approach to independence from Denmark.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, leader of the Democrats, called for political unity and criticised the timing of the visit during coalition talks with municipal elections due next week.
“We must not be forced into a power game that we ourselves have not chosen to be a part of,” Mr Nielsen said on Monday.
Brian Hughes, spokesman for the White House national security council, said the visit aims to “build on partnerships that respects Greenland’s self-determination and advances economic co-operation”.
“This is a visit to learn about Greenland, its culture, history, and people and to attend a dogsled race the United States is proud to sponsor, plain and simple,” Mr Hughes said.
Two US Hercules military transport planes arrived in Greenland’s capital Nuuk late on Sunday, carrying security personnel and bulletproof vehicles, Sermitsiaq reported.
About 60 police officers from Denmark also arrived in Nuuk on Sunday, state broadcaster KNR reported.
Mr Waltz and Mr Wright plan to visit the Pituffik space base, the US military base located along the shortest route from Europe to North America, vital for its ballistic missile warning system.
They will then join Ms Vance to visit historical sites and attend the national dogsled race.
Ms Vance said in a video posted by the US consulate in Greenland that her visit aimed to “celebrate the long history of mutual respect and co-operation between our nations”.
Mr Trump, who first floated the idea of buying Greenland in 2019, has renewed his calls for the US to take over the island since his return to the White House in January, and he has not ruled out using force to achieve this aim.
Greenland is rich in raw materials, including minerals critical to advancing new technologies.
The governments of Greenland and Denmark have voiced opposition to any US takeover.
Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said in a written comment reacting to news of the US delegation’s visit that “this is something we take seriously”.
She said Denmark wanted co-operation with the United States, a Nato ally, but based on “the fundamental rules of sovereignty”, adding that Copenhagen and Greenland’s future government would both be involved in any talks with the US regarding the island. – Reuters
