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Update: Vice President JD Vance says he will now join his wife on her trip to Greenland.
The United States has confirmed that a high-level delegation will be sent to Greenland this week amid calls from President Trump for the territory to become part of the US.
Some shit you should know before you read: Shortly after President Trump won the election, he began calling for Greenland to become part of the United States, citing a mix of strategic, economic, and national security reasons. Trump has argued that as Arctic ice continues to melt, new trade routes are opening through the region—routes that geopolitical rivals like China and Russia could exploit. He warned that without US control or influence in Greenland, the area risks becoming militarized by foreign powers, threatening global stability and American interests. Trump has also highlighted the island’s vast reserves of rare earth materials and the need to install advanced early warning systems in the Arctic to monitor potential missile threats. These proposals have sparked anger from some US lawmakers and many in Greenland, where there’s strong support for independence.
What’s going on now: In an announcement, the White House confirmed that a high-profile US delegation led by Second Lady Usha Vance will travel to Greenland this week. She will be joined by White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. While part of the same broader visit, the White House noted that Waltz and Wright will first visit Pituffik Space Base, a strategic US military installation in northwest Greenland, where they’ll receive briefings from American service members stationed there.
Later, the full group will reunite to tour historical sites, learn about Greenlandic heritage, and attend the country’s national dogsled race, which the United States is sponsoring.
The visit comes amid renewed controversy as President Donald Trump continues to promote the idea of US annexation of Greenland—a semiautonomous Danish territory. Ahead of the trip, Greenlandic and Danish leaders have criticized the planned visit.
Greenland’s acting Prime Minister, Múte B. Egede, said that “our integrity and democracy must be respected, without any outside interference.” He emphasized that no meetings with the US delegation would take place until a new Greenlandic government is formed following the March 11 elections.
Denmark has also taken a firm stance, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen saying that while Denmark is open to cooperation with the US, it must be founded on “the fundamental rules of sovereignty.”
