Vance criticises Denmark and Europe’s handling of ‘critical’ territory
US Vice President JD Vance said Greenland was “critical” to the US and the world’s defense against possible Russian or Chinese missile attacks and that Europe and Denmark were “not doing a good job” of securing the region.
Vance told Fox News that not only are they underinvesting in Greenland’s defense, they also disagree with President Donald Trump’s arguments on the issue.
U.S. officials are “actively discussing” a potential bid to buy Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, the White House said on Wednesday, a day after suggesting that military action to annex it to the United States was also an option.
NATO member Denmark warned that this would mean the end of the alliance.
Both Greenland and Denmark have repeatedly emphasized that the island is not for sale.
Although it is the most sparsely populated region, Greenland’s location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems and monitoring of ships in the area in the event of missile attacks.
Pituffik Cosmodrome, formerly known as Thule Air Base, has been operated by the United States since World War II.
In recent years, interest in Greenland’s natural resources such as rare earth minerals, uranium and iron has also increased, and access to these resources is becoming easier as the ice melts due to climate change. Scientists think it may also have significant oil and gas reserves.
“People don’t realize that the entire missile defense infrastructure is partially dependent on Greenland,” Vance said in an interview Wednesday.
“If God forbid the Russians and Chinese (I’m not saying they will), but God forbid someone launches a nuclear missile at our continent, if they launch a nuclear missile at Europe, Greenland would be a critical part of that missile defense.
“So you ask yourself: ‘Have the Europeans and the Danes done a decent job of securing Greenland and ensuring that it continues to serve as a mainstay for world security and missile defense?’ “And the answer is clearly that they didn’t,” he said.
Concerns about the future of the region resurfaced after Trump used military force against Venezuela on Saturday to take on President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump previously made an offer to buy the island during his first presidential term in 2019, but was told that the island was not for sale.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that he would hold talks with Denmark next week.
A day earlier, European leaders issued a joint statement supporting Denmark.
“Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations,” the leaders of France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark said in a joint statement. he said.
Emphasizing that they are as keen as the United States on the security of the Arctic, the European signatories said that this should be achieved “collectively” by NATO allies, including the United States.
They also called for “upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of frontiers.”
Aaja Chemnitz, one of two MPs representing Greenland in the Danish parliament, told the BBC that the Trump administration’s comments were a “clear threat”.
“It is completely disrespectful that the United States does not rule out annexing our country and annexing another NATO ally,” he said.
However, Chemnitz said he saw this as unlikely and instead “we will see over time that they will put pressure on us to take over Greenland.”
Aleqatsiaq Peary, a 42-year-old Inuit hunter living in Greenland’s remote northern town of Qaanaaq, seemed indifferent to the potential for U.S. ownership.
“This means moving from one master to another, from one occupier to another,” he told the BBC. “We are a colony under Danish rule. We already lose a lot from being under the rule of the Danish government.”
He said he “doesn’t have time for Trump,” adding that people are “needy.” Hunters like himself used to hunt on the sea ice with dogs and fish, he said, “but the sea ice is melting and hunters can no longer make a living.”
Additional reporting by Adrienne Murray in Copenhagen
