Why Usha Vance’s Upcoming Visit to Greenland Is Angering Its Leaders

President Donald Trump is ramping up his pressure campaign to make Greenland part of the U.S., even as Greenland’s leaders insist that they are not interested and that the Danish territory is not for sale. This week, the Administration plans to send three members of Trump’s inner circle to visit the autonomous island: Second Lady Usha Vance, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. 

Their visit is being viewed by Greenland officials as an escalation in the Trump Administration’s ongoing push to assert control over Greenland, which is a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. In a video shared Sunday on Instagram, the Second Lady said she’s looking forward to visiting Greenland with one of her sons “to celebrate the long history of mutual respect and cooperation between our nations” and “to express hope that our relationship will only grow stronger in the coming years.”

Greenland’s outgoing Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede called the planned visit “highly aggressive” and accused the Trump Administration of using diplomatic engagements as a smokescreen for its ultimate goal: bringing Greenland under U.S. control. “Greenlanders have tried to be diplomatic, but it simply bounces off Donald Trump and his Administration in their mission to own and control Greenland,” he told a Greenlandic newspaper on Sunday.

The White House said that Usha Vance is scheduled to attend Greenland’s national dog-sled race and visit other culturally significant sites.

In addition to the growing concerns surrounding the visit, the timing of the delegation’s trip is causing further unease. Greenland just completed a highly contested parliamentary election. The country is in the process of forming a new government and grappling with potential paths toward greater autonomy from Denmark, which is a NATO ally of the United States.

Here’s what to know about the Trump Administration’s upcoming visit to Greenland and why Trump wants the island.

Why Trump wants Greenland

A semiautonomous Danish territory, Greenland has long been viewed as a strategic gem in the Arctic: it’s home to the U.S. Pituffik Space Base, which provides missile warning and space surveillance capabilities, and is situated along vital air and sea routes in the North Atlantic that could be beneficial for shipping and trade.

The Trump Administration has framed a potential acquisition of Greenland as a matter of national security, arguing that American control would counter growing Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic. “We need Greenland for national security and even international security,” Trump said earlier this month during a joint session of Congress. “And I think we’re going to get it one way or the other.”

However, security concerns are not the only factor. Greenland possesses vast deposits of rare-earth minerals critical for advanced technology, including electric vehicle batteries, medical imaging equipment, and military applications. It also contains billions of untapped barrels of oil and a vast supply of natural gas—though mining the island has proven notoriously difficult.

The President previously sent his son, Donald Trump Jr., to the Arctic territory’s capital in January. “This is a deal that must happen,” Trump wrote on social media at the time. “MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!” Trump’s push to acquire Greenland has also coincided with his vow to make Canada the 51st state and reclaim control of the Panama Canal.

As officials in Denmark and Greenland have rejected Trump’s advances, U.S. officials have escalated their rhetoric. During an address last month to a joint session of Congress, Trump said he would make the island part of the United States “one way or the other.” On Sunday, Vice President J.D. Vance blasted Denmark during an interview on Fox News, saying that the country is “not doing its job” and “not being a good ally.” 

“So you have to ask yourself: How are we going to solve that problem, solve our own national security?” Vance said. “If that means that we need to take more territorial interest in Greenland, that is what President Trump is going to do, because he doesn’t care about what the Europeans scream at us.”

Usha Vance: Second Lady or diplomatic envoy?

The inclusion of Usha Vance in the delegation has raised some eyebrows, as it will be her most high-profile moment thus far in the new Administration, one that was quickly viewed as a deliberate attempt at “soft power” diplomacy. The White House insists that her visit is for purely cultural purposes, aimed at fostering goodwill. In her video on Instagram, Vance emphasized her excitement about Greenland’s traditions.

“I’ve been reading all about it with my children, and I’m amazed by the incredible skill and teamwork that it takes to participate in this race,” she said, referencing the Avannaata Qimussersu, Greenland’s national dog-sled race.

Yet, Greenlandic leaders are unconvinced. “We are now at a point where it can no longer be described as an innocent visit from a politician’s spouse,” outgoing Prime Minister Egede remarked in an interview with local newspaper Sermitsiaq, according to the New York Times. “The international community must now react.”

Despite Trump’s repeated assertions that Greenland is vital to U.S. interests, Danish and Greenlandic officials have consistently rejected any suggestion that the territory is available for purchase or annexation.

“We are not for sale and cannot simply be taken,” Egede said on March 5 in response to Trump’s comments to Congress. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen echoed his stance, emphasizing that Greenland’s sovereignty is not negotiable.

Greenland’s political transition following recent elections has further complicated the situation. Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the leader of the pro-business Demokraatit party, which emerged victorious in the elections, sought to calm fears while maintaining Greenland’s independence.  In a post on Facebook on Sunday, he wrote: “There is no reason to panic. But there is good reason to stand together and to demand respect. I do. And I will continue to do so.”