BBC News in Nuuk, Greenland, Washington and Copenhagen
The high -power delegation of US officials will spend Friday at a remote military base in Greenland in what is regarded as the last movement of the United States as it intensifies its desire to acquire the Danish territory.
The American group includes Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha, White House National Security Advisor Michael Walz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah.
The journey marks the worst turn in what became a tangled diplomatic trip, which began with what was originally charged as a private tour by the Second Lady of the United States.
Usa Vance is supposed to travel to Greenland, a semi -autonomous part of Denmark, with his son, to attend cultural events, such as a competition, a dog -outgone, and to spend some time visiting the Nuuk capital.
But the visit quickly attracted control. While the trip was initially defined as a cultural tour, the scale of security preparation made it clear that this was something more big. Greenland has made it clear that they will protest against the presence of G -Ja Vance.
The visit raised its eyebrows in the light of repeated comments by President Donald Trump that he would like to annex Minerals Greenland, which he believes is crucial to the US security.
Then, when it was announced that Waltz, Trump's National Security Advisor would join the delegation visiting the island, the people of Greenland and Denmark seemed even more inappropriate.
US visits have begun to resemble a less like cultural interaction, and more recently, as an effort to interfere with the domestic policy of the island, joining support for more close ties with the United States among the local population -at the expense of Danish sovereignty.
Greenland Prime Minister Mute B EGEDE said it was a “provocation” and “demonstration of power” and asked the international community to activate.
“Only for the minutes, the Greenland government has not confirmed invitations for visits, neither private nor official,” Egede said.
Ordinary Greenland also made their dissatisfaction, promising that the American delegation would not get a warm welcome.
In Sisimiut, where the annual dog race takes place, the mayor refused to establish a meeting with the second lady, citing the municipal elections next week as a reason. A silent protest was also planned that would see the locals turn their backs on American visitors – a potentially public uncomfortable situation and poor optics for G -Ja Vance.
“The US administration can see that it is heading to the PR crash,” said political analyst Noah Redington.
“They focused on an offensive offensive without charm,” he said. “With people, they are absolutely not happy to see Usa Vance or other American politicians.”
Just two days after the announcement of the trip to Usha Vance, the cultural route was dropped, replaced by a visit to a remote military installation of the United States – Pituffik Space Base. And now Vice President Vance will join his wife.
The Waltz was no longer listed on the route, although it was later added again.
“Leaders in both America and Denmark, in my opinion, have ignored Greenland for too long,” said J. D. Vance, announcing his visit. “This is bad for Greenland. It was also bad for the security of the whole world. We think we can take things in a different direction.”
Despite their comments, the political leaders in Denmark cautiously welcomed the change of the plan, and especially the restriction of the route only on the basis of the United States.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lockke Rasmussen said that although the Vice President's presence would increase the formality of the visit, it was actually a “masterful rotation”, which made the United States “look as if they were escalating when they were actually de -consumed.”
“In fact, I think it is very positive that Americans cancel their visit to the Greenland Community. Then they will instead visit their own base, Pitifik and we don't mind it,” he said.
Vance is the highest-ranking US employee who has ever visited Greenland and while the limited scope of the trip has delighted to Denmark, the fact that he at all emphasized the high level of interest that the Trump administration has on the island.
The US president himself continued to repeat his desire to acquire Greenland for national security reasons, saying on Wednesday that the US would “come to the fact that we need to reach” to achieve this.
According to Michael Williams, Professor of International Policy at the University of Otawa, it seems that Trump's focus on Greenland is reflecting more international strategy that involves the exercise of American influence on key territories in his geographical influence.
Canada and Greenland, and both early goals, which are of interest to the administration, occupy key Arctic waterways that are disputed by other global forces such as Russia and China.
Recent movements in the United States can be seen as an attempt to acquire upper hand in these strategic regions of North Americans.
“You want to strengthen the American presence in the north and its control over these northern achievements,” Williams said.
“If you can do this, then you can actually potentially control these northern waters in a very, much more direct way than it has ever been needed so far.”