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Vice President JD Vance has come under fire following his trip to Greenland, where he criticized the Danish government.
The visit, originally described as a “cultural” trip by his wife, Usha—who was set to attend a dog-sledding race—quickly turned into a political controversy.
During their brief visit to the Pituffik military base, Vice President Vance suggested that Greenland should sever ties with Denmark and instead “cut a deal” with the United States, Sky News reported.
“We think we’re going to be able to cut a deal, Donald Trump-style, to ensure the security of this territory,” Vance said.
“We hope that they choose to partner with the United States, because we’re the only nation on Earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security.”
He went on to accuse Denmark of “under-investing” in Greenland’s security and failing to protect it from “aggressive incursions from Russia, from China, and other nations.”
Greenland’s Acting Prime Minister, Mute Egede, swiftly pushed back against Vance’s remarks.
“Just for the record, the government of Greenland has not extended any invitations for any visits, neither private nor official,” Egede stated. “We don’t want to be Americans, nor Danes; we are Kalaallit. The Americans and their leader must understand that.”
He added firmly, “We are not for sale and cannot simply be taken. Our future will be decided by us in Greenland.”
While Vance’s political remarks sparked controversy, it was an offhand comment upon his arrival at the frozen Pituffik Space Base that truly caught people’s attention.
Stepping onto the base in northwest Greenland on March 28, the Vice President reportedly said: “It’s cold as s* here, nobody told me.”*
Given Greenland’s well-known icy climate, the remark raised eyebrows—especially coming from a leader whose administration has expressed interest in the territory.
People were quick to ridicule the Vice President, with one person quipping, “Maybe he thought Greenland would be… green?”
Another criticized the visit, saying, “This is getting so embarrassing for our country. Our reputation may never recover. Now we are exporting our bro culture in a way that makes us seem as unsophisticated as we have become.”
A third added, “He’s the vice president of a superpower who can’t leave the local military base because the citizens don’t want him there…”
The visit marks a renewed effort by President Donald Trump to acquire Greenland for strategic reasons. Trump has repeatedly insisted that control of the vast Arctic island is crucial for both national and global security.
“We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security,” Trump stated. “We have to have Greenland. It’s not a question of: ‘Do you think we can do without it?’ We can’t.”
He pointed to concerns over Chinese and Russian ships navigating Arctic waterways and emphasized Greenland’s mineral-rich landscape as a key factor in its growing global interest.
Back in Washington, Trump reinforced his stance: “Its waterways have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place… We have to have Greenland to guarantee peace for the entire world.”.
Denmark—Greenland’s official governing state since 1721—has firmly rejected Vance’s critique and the notion of a U.S. takeover, BBC News reported.
King Frederik of Denmark responded with a statement online: “We live in an altered reality. There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also pushed back against Vance’s remarks, stating, “For many years, we have stood side by side with the Americans in very difficult situations. Therefore, it is not an accurate way for the vice president to refer to Denmark.”
Frederiksen emphasized that Denmark had already bolstered Arctic surveillance and planned to expand its presence with additional ships, drones, and satellites. “We are ready—day and night—to cooperate with the Americans. A cooperation that must be based on the necessary international rules of the game.”
