Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has called for mutual respect in international partnerships amid mounting tensions over a planned U.S. delegation visit to Greenland. Frederiksen emphasized that collaboration must be rooted in 'sovereignty and respect between countries and peoples,' according to a statement to Danish broadcaster DR.
The visit—led by U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance—will include stops in Nuuk and Sisimiut. While Vance shared enthusiasm about attending a dog sled race via social media, Greenland’s KNQK sledding association clarified the delegation was not invited to the event.
Greenlandic leaders condemned the timing and nature of the visit. Mute Egede, Greenland’s prime minister, described it as 'a clear provocation,' citing concerns over the involvement of U.S. security officials. Jens-Frederik Nielsen, a political leader in Demokraatit, echoed that the trip showed 'a lack of respect for the Greenlandic population.'
The trip follows years of geopolitical interest in Greenland, highlighted by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2019 proposal to acquire the self-governed Danish territory. Greenland remains under Denmark’s foreign and defense policy umbrella despite gaining autonomy in 1979.
The visit underscores increasing global attention on the Arctic region, where shifting geopolitical alliances and climate-related opportunities are reshaping diplomatic priorities.
