US Vice President JD Vance and his wife will visit a US military base in Greenland on Friday. The visit was cut short after Greenlanders and Danes were outraged to learn that the original plan was drawn up without their consultation, AP news reports.
The couple's revised visit to Denmark's semi-autonomous Greenland amid strained relations between the US and Scandinavian countries. The reason is US President Donald Trump's repeated proposals that the United States should somehow control Denmark's mineral-rich territory. Denmark is a traditional US ally and a member of NATO.
The one-day visit on Friday to the US Space Force base in Pitufik on the northwest coast of Greenland reduces the risk of possible diplomatic conflicts, as the visit will take place at a US base instead of visiting another country without an official invitation. It would also reduce Vance's ability to meet with residents angered by Trump's statements.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that the planned three-day visit was "unacceptable pressure." "We want to cooperate with the Americans on defense and security issues, but Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders," she said.
