US delegation to Greenland ignites diplomatic tensions
The planned visit of the American delegation to Greenland has been met with criticism from local and Danish authorities. Although the visit is of a private nature, it raises concerns about interference in the island's internal affairs.
The U.S. delegation to Greenland, which includes the wife of the U.S. Vice President, Usha Vance, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Energy Minister Chris Wright, has sparked opposition from Greenlandic and Danish authorities. According to the Polish Press Agency, Greenland's Acting Prime Minister Mute B. Egede emphasised that the visit cannot be treated solely as private.
"It should be said clearly that our integrity and democracy must be respected without foreign interference," Egede wrote on Facebook.
Egede noted that a meeting with the American delegation will not occur until a new government is formed in Greenland. Elections took place there at the beginning of March, and the new authorities have yet to be established. The Prime Minister called on residents to unite in defence of the country, referring to an anti-American demonstration that took place in mid-March in front of the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also expressed her concerns, emphasising that the visit of the U.S. delegation cannot be viewed in isolation from earlier statements by President Donald Trump, who expressed a desire to acquire Greenland.
— In the kingdom, we want to cooperate with the Americans. But it must be a cooperation that is based on the fundamental values of sovereignty and respect between countries and peoples, — Frederiksen stated.
Experts' concerns
Claus Mathisen of the Royal Danish Defence Academy compared the visit of American officials to the situation in Crimea before its annexation by Russia. "American politicians will come en masse and seek to make Greenland American," Mathisen wrote on Facebook.
Meanwhile, retired political science professor Drude Dahlerup from Stockholm University stated that it could be viewed as deceptive to call the American delegation's trip private. Dahlerup recalled the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump's son, Jr., at the beginning of January, which seemed only like a trip, but later turned out to be aimed at showing the Greenlanders' support for Trump.
Local media report that a plane with American security services has already landed in Greenland, and additional police forces have been sent by the authorities in Copenhagen. The newspaper "Sermitsiaq" revealed that Vance's wife will visit Nuuk and Sisimiut, where on 29th March she is scheduled to watch the Avannaata Qimussersua dog sled race. The event organisers received a grant from the United States through the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk.
