Denmark has expressed approval of the Trump administration’s move to reduce the scale of its unexpected Greenland visit, interpreting it as a sign of the US easing tensions following a diplomatic conflict with both Greenland and Denmark.

Originally, the US was going to send a US delegation spearheaded by the US Second Lady Usha Vance and White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to the Greenlandic Capital of Nuuk.

However, strong public opposition by Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte B Egede and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen led to the US announcing that its delegation will only visit the Pituffik military base, the only US base in Greenland.

US Vice President JD Vance said in a video published on Tuesday that he would be joining his wife, which Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen seemed to reference when noting that while the US appeared to be escalating the row, it was actually de-escalating.

“Speaking for President Trump, we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it’s important to protecting the security of the entire world," Vance stated in the video, which was posted on X.

“I actually think it is very positive that the Americans are canceling their visit to the Greenlandic community. Then they will instead make a visit to their own base, Pituffik, and we have nothing against that,” Ramuss said in an interview with Danish broadcaster DR.

As US planes were preparing to leave Greenland, the Danish foreign minister stated that "the cars that were delivered a few days ago are now being brought back home, and there will be no visit from the US vice president’s wife and their security advisor to the Greenlandic community. It is being packed up, and that is positive."

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Annexing Greenland

Since beginning his second term on January 20, Trump has frequently emphasized the idea of US annexation of Greenland, asserting that it will become part of the US “one way or the other.”

In a Sunday interview with the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq, Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede called Waltz’s visit a “provocation.”

“The only purpose is to show a demonstration of power to us, and the signal is not to be misunderstood,” he said. “He is Trump’s confidential and closest advisor, and his presence in Greenland alone will certainly make the Americans believe in Trump’s mission, and the pressure will increase after the visit.”

Greenland’s strategic position and its abundant mineral resources make it an attractive prospect for the US, lying along the shortest route between Europe and North America, which is crucial for the US ballistic missile warning system.

Both the Greenlandic and Danish governments have expressed opposition to the annexation plans.

Trump says Greenland annexation inevitable, requests NATO help

US President Donald Trump urged NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to support Washington’s efforts in “securing” Greenland during their meeting in the Oval Office on March 13, discussing the issue as part of their broader talks.  

When asked by journalists on March 13 about the “potential annexation of Greenland,” Trump responded that he believed it would happen as he turned to the NATO chief and remarked that he hadn’t given it much thought before but was now sitting with someone who could play a key role.

Trump emphasized to Mark Rutte that securing Greenland was important for international security, pointing out the presence of various actors around its coasts and stressing the need for caution while indicating that further discussions would take place.

After first proposing the purchase of the Danish autonomous territory in 2019, Trump has revived the idea since returning to office, stating during a recent joint session of Congress that the United States would secure the island “one way or the other.”