Greenland has accused the Trump administration of being “highly aggressive” by sending a delegation of senior officials to the territory this week.
President Donald Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz is visiting Greenland early this week with the U.S. energy secretary Chris Wright, according to reports, in addition to a separate trip by Second Lady Usha Vance on Thursday.
The trips come after Trump’s repeated threats to annex the autonomous territory.
Greenland’s prime minister Mute B. Egede was quoted in a Greenlandic newspaper Sunday furiously questioning why Waltz was visiting.
“We are now at a level where it can in no way be characterized as a harmless visit from a politician's wife,” Egede said, according to Greenland’s Sermitsiaq newspaper. “What is the national security adviser doing in Greenland? The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us.”
“He is Trump's confidential and closest advisor, and his presence in Greenland alone will certainly make the Americans believe in Trump's mission, and the pressure will increase after the visit,” Egede added.
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
State Department press secertary Tammy Bruce was questioned about the prime minister’s comments at Monday afternoon’s briefing, and declined to comment on the effects it would have on US-Greenland relations — referring reporters instead to the White House, where Karoline Leavitt did not brief reporters.
It was announced Sunday that Vance would visit Greenland from Thursday until Saturday, accompanied by her son.
Vance will “visit historical sites, learn about Greenlandic heritage, and attend the Avannaata Qimussersu, Greenland’s national dogsled race,” the White House said in a statement.
The race features 737 mushers and 444 dogs in a “remarkable display of speed, skill, and teamwork,” the statement said. Vance and “the delegation are excited to witness this monumental race and celebrate Greenlandic culture and unity,” it added.
Less information is known about Walz’s trip, which has been reported by the New York Times and CBS News.
The planned visits follows Trump’s repeated threats to annex the autonomous territory and claim it for the U.S. The president claimed, “we need that for international security, not just national security.”
A longstanding defense agreement between the United States and Denmark allows the U.S. to operate military facilities in Greenland, including Ptiuffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base.
The U.S. once offered to purchase the island in the wake of the Second World War but the Danish government declined the offer. The Danish government and the Greenlandic government have both said that the territory is not up for sale.
“I think it’ll happen,” Trump told reporters earlier this month while he sat next to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Trump questioned whether Denmark still had a right to claim the world’s largest island as part of its kingdom.
“A boat landed there 200 years ago or something. And they say they have rights to it,” Trump said. “I don’t know if that’s true. I don’t think it is, actually.”
All five parties in Greenland’s parliament issued a joint statement last week rejecting Trump’s remarks. Denmark has recognized Greenland’s right to independence at a time of its choosing.
Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, traveled to Greenland in early January to explore his father's interest in purchasing the island but left very quickly.
“Incredible experience,” he said of the trip that lasted less than a day. “By the way, they love America here. They love America. They love Trump,” he said in a video he posted to social media at the time.
