Greenlandic leaders were enraged by a planned trip of a U.S. delegation to Greenland this week. The delegation led by second lady Usha Vance will include White House national security advisor Mike Waltz and energy secretary Chris Wright and is scheduled to tour a U.S. military base, attend a dogsled race and visit cultural sites.
While the visit aiming to 鈥渃elebrate the long history of mutual respect and cooperation between our nations," according to Vance, sounds innocent enough on paper, it wasn鈥檛 perceived that way in Greenland. In light of repeated comments made by President Donald Trump鈥檚 on his intent to take control of the autonomous territory currently belonging to Denmark, Greenland鈥檚 outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede called the visit 鈥渉ighly aggressive鈥 and 鈥渁 provocation,鈥 taking particular offense in the involvement of Mr. Waltz. "What is the national security adviser doing in Greenland?鈥 Egede asked. "The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us." Mette Frederiksen, prime minister of Denmark, said that the visit couldn鈥檛 be 鈥渟een in isolation of the public statements that have been made.鈥
Earlier this month, in , Trump had reiterated his desire to control Greenland for 鈥渘ational security and even international security,鈥 while also addressing the 鈥渋ncredible people of Greenland鈥 directly. Aside from promising them safety, wealth and the right to determine their own future, his comments also contained the thinly-veiled threat that the U.S. would 鈥済et鈥 Greenland 鈥渙ne way or the other.鈥
The U.S. taking control of Greenland 鈥渢he other way鈥, i.e. through military force, is highly unlikely, though, given that Denmark is a NATO member and an attack on its sovereignty would shake up the world order. Such a drastic move also wouldn鈥檛 be backed by the American public, a recent poll shows. According to the , 69 percent of U.S. adults are opposed to the U.S. taking control of Greenland by force, while just 11 percent of respondents support it. Even among Republicans, the idea is broadly rejected, with 57 percent of Republican respondents saying they oppose it.
