During a visit to the Pituffik military base, JD Vance denounced Denmark's inaction in Greenland and reiterated American ambitions in this strategic territory, fueling the anger of Copenhagen and Nuuk.
"You have not done a good job for the people of Greenland": these are the words with which JD Vance, Vice President of the United States, attacked Denmark head-on during a speech given Friday to American troops based in Pituffik, northwest Greenland. According to him, Denmark had underinvested in the security and development of the autonomous territory, which would justify a future American takeover. He even suggested that an agreement with the Greenlanders could allow a "peaceful reunification" with the United States, in line with the ambitions expressed a few days earlier by Donald Trump "We need it," the former president said.
This rhetoric of conquest, described as "unacceptable pressure" by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, comes as Greenland has been without a fully functioning government since the March elections. Greenland's new Prime Minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, denounced the visit as "disrespectful" during a period of political transition.
A strategic base at the heart of Arctic tensions
The Pituffik air base—formerly Thule Air Base—plays a central role in US missile defense against Russia. Located on the shortest trajectory of intercontinental missiles, it is a pivotal part of US military strategy in the Arctic. Washington accuses Denmark of neglecting this area, despite the €2 billion allocated by Copenhagen to strengthen its presence in the Arctic. But in Greenland, Washington's rhetoric is having the opposite effect. Neither the Greenlandic political class nor the predominantly Inuit population want to join the United States, as a poll published in January highlighted. Even King Frederik X of Denmark has come out of his shell to affirm his personal attachment to the territory.
