Vice President J.D. Vance announced Tuesday that he will travel to Greenland on Friday, a move that follows backlash over second lady Usha Vance’s planned visit to the Arctic island. The trip is taking place against the backdrop of renewed tensions between the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland, as President Donald Trump continues to push for U.S. control of the territory.
“There was so much excitement around Usha’s visit to Greenland this Friday that I decided that I didn’t want her to have all that fun by herself, and so I’m going to join her,” Vance said in a video posted on X.
The announcement adds to growing controversy surrounding the visit, which officials in Denmark and Greenland see as part of Trump’s broader strategy to assert U.S. interests over the island. Trump has repeatedly stated his intention to take control of Greenland, citing “international security concerns.”
Further straining diplomatic relations, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright are also scheduled to travel to Denmark. Greenland Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede denounced Waltz’s visit as “highly aggressive,” while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the U.S. delegation’s presence as “unacceptable pressure.”
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, leader of Greenland’s Demokraatit party and likely the country’s next prime minister following elections earlier this month, criticized the visit as showing a “lack of respect for the Greenlandic people.”
The controversy comes as Vance and Waltz are facing a scandal over the Trump administration’s handling of classified intelligence. Both officials were reportedly involved in a Signal group chat discussing military operations in Yemen, which was accidentally shared with The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg.
During his visit, Vance is expected to tour the Pituffik Space Base, home to the U.S. Space Force’s 821st Space Base Group. He framed the trip as a security mission, stating that Greenland is a key strategic target for adversaries threatening the U.S. and Canada.
“We want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it’s important to protecting the security of the entire world,” Vance said, adding that Denmark has failed to take the island’s security seriously.
Greenland, a semiautonomous territory, remains under Danish control in matters of defense and foreign policy. While independence movements on the island are gaining traction, the Demokraatit party, which recently won parliamentary elections, advocates for a gradual separation from Denmark.
Trump, however, has made Greenland a focal point of his second-term foreign policy agenda. He first proposed acquiring the island during his first term and has since intensified his stance. In a March 4 speech to Congress, Trump reiterated his determination, declaring, “We’re going to get it [Greenland]. One way or the other, we’re going to get it.”