Second Lady Usha Vance is set to visit Greenland this week, as announced by the White House on Sunday. This trip positions her as the latest U.S. official to make a stop in the Danish territory amidst President Donald Trump’s increasing calls for U.S. acquisition.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz will accompany Vance, as confirmed by two administration sources to NBC News.
Vance will take one of her two sons along for the trip, where she plans to explore historical sites, delve into Greenlandic culture, and participate in a national dogsled race. The journey is scheduled to begin on Thursday.
The trip comes as Trump intensifies his longstanding proposal to acquire Greenland, a resource-rich island that is home to a U.S. military installation in a geopolitically significant area.
In a video shared on Sunday, Vance expressed that her visit aims to celebrate and reinforce “the long history of mutual respect and cooperation between” the United States and Greenland.
The New York Times was the first to report on Vance’s upcoming trip.
The planned visit of the U.S. delegation has sparked criticism from outgoing Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte B. Egede, who raised concerns about whether the trip serves as a means to intimidate local authorities.
“We have now reached a point where it cannot be perceived as a simple visit from a politician’s spouse,” Egede stated to the national paper Sermitsiaq on Sunday. “What is the security adviser doing in Greenland? The only goal is to showcase a display of power to us, and the message is clear.”
Representatives from the White House and the Energy Department have not responded to requests for comments.
Trump initially suggested the idea of acquiring Greenland during his first term, and his approach has become markedly more assertive recently. He has described ownership of the island as “an absolute necessity,” and has not dismissed the option of using military action to achieve it.
“We need Greenland for national security. One way or the other we’re going to get it,” Trump stated in his address to a joint session of Congress earlier this month.
He offered similar reasoning in an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, suggesting that the military alliance may need to assist in his quest to secure the territory.
“We have many of our key players patrolling the coast, and we must be vigilant,” Trump remarked. “I believe that’s why NATO might need to engage in this matter, as we genuinely require Greenland for national security.”
Greenland operates as a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, which is a NATO member.
Leaders from Greenland and Denmark have consistently rejected Trump’s acquisition proposal.
In January, Donald Trump Jr., joined by right-wing figure Charlie Kirk, visited Greenland on a trip his father described as advocating for a “deal that must happen.”
