Need it for free: why did the US Vice President go to Greenland
Russia is open to cooperation with the United States on a mutually beneficial basis in the interests of ensuring the stability and sustainable development of the Arctic, the Russian Embassy in Denmark told Izvestia. US Vice President Jay Dee Vance headed a delegation to Greenland to visit a military base, amid the election of a new prime minister of the island. Washington hopes to strengthen its influence in the Arctic region by strengthening its presence in this country. How the possible annexation of the island by the Americans will change the situation in the Arctic is described in the Izvestia article.
Why is the United States interested in Greenland
U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance arrived in Greenland on March 28. It is planned that his visit will last one day. The American delegation includes Michael Waltz, National Security Adviser to the President of the United States, and Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy. Vance had previously written that the delegation was going to check how Greenland was "doing" and help strengthen the island's security, and "this is important to protect the security of the whole world."
Russia is open to cooperation with the United States on a mutually beneficial basis in the interests of ensuring the stability and sustainable development of the Arctic, the Russian Embassy in Denmark told Izvestia.
— Russia proceeds from the fact that security in the Arctic must be built by joint efforts of the states of the region through dialogue and interaction. The Russian Federation is open to cooperation with the United States on a mutually beneficial basis in the interests of ensuring the stability and sustainable development of the Arctic," the Russian diplomatic mission in Copenhagen told Izvestia.
It was originally planned that the American delegation on this trip would be led by the wife of Vice President Usha Vance, who would spend three days on the island and, together with her son, attend dog sledding races, as well as visit historical sites. But when representatives of the United States decided to find a family in the capital of Greenland, Nuuk, who would agree to host the second lady of the United States, they received a firm "no" everywhere, according to Danish media.
By the way, Vance is not the first person from Trump's entourage to visit the island this year. The president's son, Donald Trump Jr., and his advisers traveled to the island in early January, a few weeks before the inauguration.
The American side has not consulted with Denmark or Greenland about the appropriateness of the visit of high-ranking US representatives in these circumstances. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen spoke negatively about these plans of the American side.
The states tried to buy the island
The United States has long harbored plans to annex Greenland, and they should be taken seriously, President Vladimir Putin said at a plenary session of the Arctic — Territory of Dialogue international forum.
"This may surprise someone only at first glance, and it is a deep mistake to believe that this is some kind of extravagant talk by the American administration. Nothing like that," the head of state said.
The United States will continue to systematically promote its geostrategic, military-political and economic interests in the Arctic, the president said. He added that the Greenland issue has nothing to do with Russia, but Moscow is concerned that NATO countries are more likely to "designate the Far North as a springboard for possible conflicts."
Arctic peoples inhabited Greenland long before the island was discovered by Europeans, although before the arrival of the Vikings the island was depopulated — the ancestors of modern Inuit began to settle in the south of Greenland only in the 13th century. Scandinavian settlers established colonies on the island in the 10th century, but by the 16th the colonies were deserted as a result of climate change, internal conflicts and isolation. In the 18th century, Denmark claimed the island as its own and began its colonization.
In the 19th century, the United States began to show interest in Greenland. In 1910, a deal was prepared for the exchange of territories between the United States, Germany and Denmark, but it fell through. The American military bases on the island appeared during the Second World War. In 1946, the United States offered Denmark $100 million in gold for Greenland, but the Danish authorities refused. Therefore, in 1951, Washington and Copenhagen signed an agreement according to which the countries jointly defend the island.
How Greenland treats the United States
After returning to the White House, Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that the United States intends to gain control of Greenland, arguing this for national security reasons. Addressing both houses of Congress in early March, the American president said that his administration was actively working to "get Greenland," and expressed confidence that he would be able to achieve what he wanted "one way or another."
The current state of relations with the United States in Denmark is assessed as a crisis. The intention of the Americans to gain control of Greenland is perceived by Copenhagen as a challenge to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Danish kingdom. More and more Danes are beginning to see the United States as a threat to the country's security.
— The Kingdom has allocated funds for the construction of new ice-class frigates and the purchase of long-range UAVs. However, this is not done to protect the island from the United States," the Russian Embassy in Denmark stressed.
Obviously, the island's authorities are interested in strengthening their own security, but at the same time they realize that the potential difference between Greenland and the United States is enormous. Therefore, such steps cannot be presented as actions aimed at protecting against the United States.
At a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on March 13, Trump admitted that the United States would annex the island. At the same time, the United States has a Pituffik military space base there, so they already control Greenland militarily. Under Trump, the United States will strengthen its military presence on the island and continue to modernize the base, Nikita Lipunov, a junior researcher at MGIMO, told Izvestia.
"Vance's visit is intended to demonstrate to other players in the region, primarily the European allies, Russia, and, to a lesser extent, China, that the United States is serious about playing a leading role in the western Arctic and generally consolidating the North American continent militarily and politically," the expert noted.
U.S. Vice President Vance said upon arrival on the island that Washington has no plans to expand its military presence in Greenland. However, the Americans intend to invest in the icebreakers and warships present there. Trump had previously spoken about the massive construction of an icebreaking fleet.
According to Lipunov, Greenland will remain a point of projection for Trump, which gives the United States control over a significant part of the Western Arctic and the North Atlantic due to its geostrategic position. In addition, the president, as a true entrepreneur, will continue to seek access to the island's natural resources, including rare earth metals. According to his logic, it is more expedient to acquire an island than to spend money on the defense of an ally's land.
The actions of the United States also affect the domestic political situation in Greenland. Parliamentary elections were held on the island in early March. The opposition Democrats (Demokraatit) party unexpectedly won the election, receiving 29.9% of the vote and advocating a "slow path to independence." The leader of the political force, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, was elected Prime Minister of the island. Earlier, he said that "Greenland's political parties are united against pressure from the United States." This position has public support: according to a survey conducted at the end of January, about 85% of the island's population oppose the idea of joining the United States.
In the near future, Greenland, despite its unequivocal desire for independence, will prioritize achieving an equal partnership with Denmark and strengthening its economic self-sufficiency. Only by reaching it will Greenland be able to gain full-fledged independence, Lipunov concluded.
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