US delegation to visit Greenland amid Trump's takeover remarks
Photo: Mike Waltz (Getty Images)
A high-ranking US delegation will visit Greenland this week amid President Donald Trump's push to annex the island, according to Reuters.
The delegation will be led by Usha Vance, wife of US Vice President J.D. Vance. The group will also include White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Waltz and Wright plan to visit Pituffik Space Base, a US military installation in Greenland, where they will receive briefings from American personnel, according to the White House.
They will later join Usha Vance to visit historical sites and participate in Greenland's national dog sledding races.
Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, stated that the US delegation is "confident that this visit presents an opportunity to build on partnerships that respects Greenland's self determination and advances economic cooperation."
"This is a visit to learn about Greenland, its culture, history, and people and to attend a dogsled race the United States is proud to sponsor, plain and simple," Hughes said.
After his second inauguration, US President Donald Trump made Washington’s annexation of Greenland a central topic of discussion. However, both the Greenlandic and Danish governments have opposed Trump’s proposals.
Just over a week ago, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the likely next prime minister of Greenland, rejected Trump’s territorial claims over the island. He stated that Greenland seeks independence and that Greenlanders want to remain Greenlanders - not Americans or Danes.
