US Vice President JD Vance is due to visit Greenland this week alongside a high-level American delegation, reigniting discussions about the strategic Arctic territory that President Donald Trump previously suggested the US should acquire. (Updated 26 March at 4 p.m.)
Vance confirmed the trip in a social media post on Tuesday, stating he looks forward to visiting on Friday. The delegation includes his wife Usha Vance, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Waltz and Wright are due to visit the US space force base in Pituffik for briefings from US personnel.
In a video announcement, Vance framed the visit as a response to growing geopolitical competition. He cited unspecified foreign threats to Greenland’s territory and waterways and criticised past US and Danish leaders for “ignoring” Greenland’s strategic importance.
As a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland controls most domestic affairs but relies on Denmark for defence and foreign policy. Moreover, any status change would require amending the Danish constitution.
The trip follows Trump’s repeated 2019 proposals to purchase Greenland, which both the territory and Denmark firmly rejected. The visit also underscores resource competition, as Greenland holds rare earth minerals critical for clean energy and defence tech.
