Just in Vance claims Denmark is failing to protect Greenland from Russian and Chinese influence…Read more

Just in Vance claims Denmark is failing to protect Greenland from Russian and Chinese influence
NUUK, Greenland/WASHINGTON March 28 (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Friday accused Denmark of not doing a good job keeping Greenland safe and suggested the United States would better protect the semi-autonomous Danish territory that President Donald Trump has pressed to take over.

He pledged respect for Greenland’s sovereignty but also suggested the territory would come to see the benefit of partnering with the U.S., in remarks the Danish prime minister called unfair.
“Denmark has not kept pace and devoted the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view, to keep the people of Greenland safe from a lot of very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China and other nations,” Vance said. He gave no details of the alleged incursions.
Greenland on Friday, Vance said Russia, China and other nations are taking an “extraordinary interest” in Arctic passageways, naval routes and minerals in the region. He said the U.S. will invest more resources, including naval ships and military icebreakers that will have a greater presence in the country.
As Greenlanders expressed deep unease about the visit, Vance vowed the people of Greenland would have “self-determination” and the U.S. would respect its sovereignty.

Greenland on Friday, Vance said Russia, China and other nations are taking an “extraordinary interest” in Arctic passageways, naval routes and minerals in the region. He said the U.S. will invest more resources, including naval ships and military icebreakers that will have a greater presence in the country.
As Greenlanders expressed deep unease about the visit, Vance vowed the people of Greenland would have “self-determination” and the U.S. would respect its sovereignty.

think that they ultimately will partner with the United States,” Vance said. “We can make them much more secure. We could do a lot more protection. And I think they’d fare a lot better economically as well.”

His remarks came just hours after a new broad government coalition that aims to keep ties with Denmark for now was presented in the capital, Nuuk.
Greenland’s new prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said the U.S. visit signalled a “lack of respect,” while Danish leaders expressed their commitment to Greenland.

“For many years we have stood side by side with the Americans under very difficult circumstances. Therefore the vice president’s description of Denmark is not a fair one,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement to Danish news agency Ritzau.
We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security. We have to have Greenland. It’s not a question of, ‘Do you think we can do without it?’ We can’t,” Trump said.

Trump said Greenland’s waterways have “Chinese and Russian ships all over the place” and the United States will not rely on Denmark or anybody else to handle the situation.

The island, whose capital is closer to New York than it is to the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited U.S. investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.

A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the U.S. economy.

The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof”It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means,” he told Reuters.

“But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments,” he added.
Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing “Make America Go Away” caps and holding “Yankees Go Home” banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.
On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said “Our Land. Our Future All six main political parties support independence but differ on how and when it could be achieved.
The pro-independence Naleraq party, the leading opposition force, had gained momentum ahead of the election, bolstered by U.S. interest and fresh accusations of Denmark’s historic exploitation of Greenland’s mineral wealth.

The party believes the U.S. attention strengthens Greenland’s position in secession talks with Denmark and aims to bring a deal with Copenhagen to a vote before the next election in four years.