Greenland during the visit, as Washington goes on to underscore Greenland's strategic importance in Arctic defense and exploration of resources.
Greenland Outrage Over Usha Vance Visit
The news of the visit by Usha Vance has been met with mass outrage in Greenland, with politicians from both sides of the divide condemning the timing and motive of the US visit. The visit comes on the heels of years of tension, much generated by Donald Trump's repeated statements that the US should purchase Greenland, a line that has been strongly opposed by both Greenlandic and Danish authorities.
Prime Minister Mute Egede, whose administration is in caretaker mode after the March 11 election, termed the visit "a provocation" and stressed that Greenland's government would not meet with the delegation. However, due to treaty obligations, the US delegation will still have access to the Thule military base, where there have been American soldiers since World War II.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the head of the Democrats, Greenland's business party, also criticized the visit as a move to plunge Greenland into a geopolitical struggle for which the island has not opted to participate. He stressed the importance of expressing solidarity in terms of condemning outside intervention.
Washington's Justification
In spite of the criticism, the White House insisted that the trip is strictly diplomatic and cultural. Spokesman Brian Hughes reasserted that the visit aims to "build on partnerships that respect Greenland's self-determination" and foster economic cooperation. Usha Vance made similar comments in a video message, in which she underscored the "long history of mutual respect and cooperation" between the US and Greenland.
But sending US military cargo planes and security reinforcements only confirms suspicions that the visit is designed to exert, not seek, influence. Denmark, however, is still Greenland's sovereign and has dispatched additional security men to Nuuk to greet the arriving delegation.
Strategic and Economic Interests in Greenland
Greenland, the world's largest island, contains huge reserves of untapped mineral resources, including rare earth minerals, upon which world technology industries depend. Its Arctic geography also makes it geopolitically and militarily strategically valuable. The US has maintained a military presence in Greenland for decades, but Trump's brazen move to "buy" the island has raised the stakes.
As the US delegation travels, political repercussions in Greenland are in a heightened state with leaders of the country seeing the visit as further evidence of Washington's grander ambition in the Arctic. Time will tell if the visit will calm things or further fuel them into an even greater crisis.
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