The wife of the U.S Vice-President JD Vance, Usha Vance, along with the country’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, will visit Greenland this week on the eve of municipal elections on the island.
In his first period as US president from 2017-21, President Trump flagged up the controversial idea of buying Greenland – a semi-autonomous Danish territory – a notion rejected out of hand by both Denmark and Greenland itself.
The PM of Greenland has now attacked the U.S, accusing it of interfering in its internal political affairs with this week’s visit of an American delegation to the Arctic island.
According to news reports, Mrs Vance will visit Greenland on Thursday as part of a US group to tour historical sites, discover he territory’s heritage and watch the national dogsled race.
The delegation will return to the US on 29 March. Waltz and the U.S energy secretary, Chris Wright, will also be in Greenland to visit a US military base, it is reported.
The Greenlandic government, which is called the Naalakkersuisut, is currently in a caretaker period following a parliamentary election on March 11 won by the Democrats, a pro-business party that is said to support possible independence from Denmark.
The U.S visit has angered some including Danish MEP Anders Vistisen, a member of the Danish People’s Party and whip of the Patriots for Europe Group in the European Parliament.
On Monday, he said in response:”Their visit is as provocative as it is gratuitous.
“Coming just before the local elections, it’s also an interference in our democratic process.
Mrs Vance and Mr Waltz are, of course, welcome as tourists and visitors to our beautiful Greenland but not as an advance scouting party for a future interference or occupation by the United States.
Greenland belongs to and with the Kingdom of Denmark.They should sling their hook elsewhere.
The U.S interest in Greenland is because of its strategic location and rich oil, gas and mineral resources. It is thought this could benefit the U.S. The huge country lies along the shortest route from Europe to North America, vital for the U.S. ballistic missile warning system.
