Vice President J.D. Vance announced he’s visiting Greenland on Friday.

Vance will join his wife, Usha, saying he “didn’t want her to have all that fun by herself.”

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From the Associated Press:

The couple will now visit the U.S. Space Force outpost at Pituffik, on the northwest coast of Greenland, instead of Usha Vance’s previously announced solo trip to the Avannaata Qimussersu dogsled race in Sisimiut.

President Donald Trump irked much of Europe by suggesting that the United States should in some form control the self-governing, mineral-rich territory of Denmark, a U.S. ally and NATO member. As the nautical gateway to the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America, Greenland has broader strategic value as both China and Russia seek access to its waterways and natural resources.

The vice president’s decision to visit a U.S. military base in Greenland has removed the risk of violating potential diplomatic taboos by sending a delegation to another country without an official invitation. Yet Vance has also criticized long-standing European allies for relying on military support from the United States, openly antagonizing partners in ways that have generated concerns about the reliability of the U.S.

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Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told Danish broadcaster DR Wednesday that the Vances’ updated travel plans are a good thing. The minister said the change was a deescalation, even as he said the Americans are treating it as the opposite, with Vance suggesting in an online video that global security is at stake.

“Denmark, which controls Greenland, is not doing its job. It’s not being a good ally,” Vance previously said.

“If that means that we need to take more territorial interest in Greenland, that is what President Trump is going to do,” he continued.

“Because he doesn’t care about what the Europeans scream at us. He cares about putting the interests of American citizens first,” he added.

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“I think it’s very positive the Americans cancelled their visit to the Greenlandic society. Instead, they will visit their own base, Pituffik, and we have nothing against that,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said, according to USA TODAY.

Per USA TODAY:

The second lady was scheduled to arrive Thursday with one of their sons and a U.S. delegation to attend cultural events including a dogsled race. They are scheduled to leave Saturday. The Vice President’s office said the couple would no longer attend the dogsled race.

The Arctic territory is rich in untapped minerals and is strategically located for U.S. military interests. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who is currently at the center of a national security breach scandal, has been scheduled to visit a U.S. military base in Greenland alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

The government of Greenland distanced itself from the visit in a post on Facebook late Monday, saying, “Just for the record, Naalakkersuisut, the government of Greenland, has not extended any invitations for any visits, neither private nor official.”

 

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