U.S. officials have reportedly been been going door-to-door in Greenland, trying to find anyone interested in a visit from Vice President J.D. Vance and Second Lady, Usha Vance. The response? No Thanks.
Greenlanders made it clear they didn’t want the visit, according to a report from Danish TV. Even Tupilak Travel, a company based in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, initially agreed to host Usha Vance but later backed out.
On Facebook, the company explained that after further consideration, they told the U.S. Consulate they didn’t want the visit. “We cannot accept the underlying agenda and will not be part of the press show that, quite, of course, comes with it. No thanks to a nice visit… Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders,” the company said.
The cancellation happened the same day Vice President JD Vance announced he’d join his wife’s trip. “There was so much excitement around Usha’s visit to Greenland this Friday, that I decided that I didn’t want her to have all that fun by herself, and so I’m going to join her,” he said in a video on X.
The Vances, along with National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Christ Wright, were scheduled to head to Greenland on Friday, but those plans may change. The U.S. delegation was supposed to attend the Avannaata Qimusserua, one of the world’s biggest dog-sledding events, but that has also been canceled, according to USA Today.
Right now, the only stop left on their itinerary is the U.S. Space Force Base at Pituffik.
Greenlanders and Danish officials have been vocal about their disapproval of the trip. Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen slammed the U.S., accusing it of putting “unacceptable pressure” on Greenland with the planned visit.
“This is pressure that we will resist,” Frederiksen said. “You cannot make a private visit with official representatives from another country when the acting Greenlandic government has made it very clear that they do not want a visit at this time.”
Frederiksen also said the U.S. delegation’s arrival wasn’t about what Greenland wanted. “President Trump is serious. He wants Greenland. Therefore, [this visit] cannot be seen independently of anything else,” she said.
Trump has made no secret of his interest in Greenland, even suggesting he wanted to buy it or take control through military means. As the Arctic melts due to climate change, new shipping routes are opening up, and the U.S. sees strategic value in controlling these routes. Trade between Asia and Europe or Asia and the U.S. would be 40% shorter if ships travel through the Arctic, according to the U.S. Naval Institute.
The Arctic is also rich in untapped resources, with 13% of the world’s undiscovered oil and 30% of undiscovered natural gas. Greenland itself has valuable rare earth minerals, key for technology like cellphones and batteries.
But for now, it looks like the Vances won’t get the warm reception they hoped for.
