Vice President JD Vance arrived at Greenlands Pituffik Space Base on March 28, 2025, leading a delegation that included Second Lady Usha Vance, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.The trip, shortened to under 24 hours after Danish and Greenlandic leaders protested its lack of consultation, spotlighted escalating tensions over former President Donald Trumps bid to expand US control over the resource-rich Arctic territory.Pituffik, formerly Thule Air Base, serves as the Pentagons northernmost installation and a linchpin for missile defense.
Its Upgraded Early Warning Radar detects launches from as far as Russia or China, while 150 permanent personnel monitor Arctic skies.Defense analysts call it irreplaceable for countering emerging hypersonic threats.
Trump has framed Greenland as critical to US security, claiming last week, We need it for global stabilityand well take it if Denmark resists.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen condemned the original three-day itinerary as unacceptable pressure, stressing Greenland belongs to its 56,000 residents.
Over 90% oppose joining the US, with recent protests in Nuuk featuring signs like Yankees Go Home.United States Arctic Ambitions Test Ties with Denmark as Vance Visits Greenland Base.
(Photo Internet reproduction)Four Greenlandic parties formed a coalition government days before Vances arrival, vowing unity against external demands.
Prime Minister-designate Jens-Frederik Nielsen declared, We stand strongest together under this pressure.Greenlands Strategic RoleThe base itself remains contentious.
Built secretly in 1951, it displaced Inuit communities and left radioactive waste now threatened by melting ice.
Renamed in 2023 to reflect Greenlandic heritage, it anchors US-Space Force operations but faces logistical hurdles.Winter temperatures plunge to -20C, complicating defenses against modern missile systems.
Vance avoided public engagements, focusing instead on troops stationed at Pituffik.Arctic security grows more vital each decade, he told service members, echoing Trumps stance that Greenlands minerals and shipping routes warrant US stewardship.
A senior aide later accused Denmark of neglecting Greenlands infrastructure, claims Nuuk officials called misleading.As climate change opens Arctic resources, global powers vie for influence.
China and Russia have expanded polar operations, while NATO allies like Denmark balance cooperation with sovereignty concerns.With Trump eyeing Novembers election, his administrations Greenland push risks fracturing a 75-year allianceand testing how far hard power extends in the thawing north.