Donald Trump issues new Greenland threat as furious locals turn on JD Vance

Donald Trump has reignited his desire for the US to annex Greenland with comments that are likely to stroke Danish anger. The new remarks come as his vice president, J.D. Vance, prepares for a controversial visit to the island.

Trump said on Wednesday that Vance and his team travelling to the territory would be tasked with “letting them know that we need Greenland for international safety and security.” The new statement marks Trump’s clearest intentions about the reasons behind the visit. “It’s an island that from a defensive posture, and even offensive posture, is something we need, especially with the world the way it is, and we’re going to have to have it,” the president said during an interview with conservative talk show host, Vince Coglianese.

Until now, the president has played down the notion that Vance’s visit was tied to his plan to take control of the world’s largest non-continental island, saying it was about “friendliness, not provocation”.

Trump went further, saying that whether Greenlanders wished to become Americans or not was of secondary concern to him: “I don’t know. I don’t think they’re un-eager, but I think that we have to do it, and we have to convince them,” he said.

Trump’s intent to take Greenland has triggered a diplomatic crisis with Denmark, which gained possession of the territory nearly 650 years ago.

“Modern-day weapons — when you look at ships going up their shore by the — you know, by the hundreds. It’s a busy place, and it’s really something we have,” Trump said.

“It’s not possible to properly defend a large section of this earth, not just the United States, without it.”

Vance and his wife, Usha, are scheduled to stop at an isolated US military base in the far northwest portion of the island, where they’ll be briefed on national security issues and meet American service members.

The Vance trip initially centred around cultural engagements and was portrayed as a family outing, also attended by a large US delegation. It included watching a national dog sled race. However, following local backlash, certain elements were scaled down.

The sled race and stops in the cities of Nuuk and Sisimiut, where anti-US protests were expected, are no longer on the schedule, and the three-day trip has now been reduced to a Friday visit.

Earlier this week, before the visit was scaled down, US representatives went around areas of Greenland door-knocking to ask locals whether they wanted a visit by Vance, news outlet Nyheder reports. The outlet claims the answer was the "same" everywhere: "No, thank you".

The timing of the Vances' visit has further exacerbated such tensions. Greenland recently held a general election on March 11, resulting in a shift in the political landscape. The leading parties, Demokraatit and Naleraq, are currently in coalition negotiations to form a new government. Additionally, local elections are scheduled for April 1.

The US visit during this sensitive period has been perceived by some Greenlandic politicians as foreign interference. Outgoing Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede described the visit as "highly aggressive," urging the international community to respond. ​

Denmark's Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, echoed these sentiments, accusing the US of exerting "unacceptable pressure" on Greenland and Denmark. She emphasised the importance of respecting Greenland's autonomy and the ongoing political processes.