“Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance told a press conference.
“You have under-invested in the people of Greenland and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass,” he added
Around 1000 Greenlanders marched on the US consulate building in Nuuk on March 15 to protest US President Donald Trump's remarks on the sovereignty of their country. Photo / Getty Images
“We are not talking about peace for the United States. We are talking about world peace. We are talking about international security,” Trump claimed to reporters at the White House on Friday.
“We think this makes sense and because we think the people of Greenland are rational and good, we think we’re going to be able to cut a deal, Donald Trump-style, to ensure the security of this territory but also the United States of America,” Vance said.
“For many years, we have stood by the Americans in very difficult situations,” she said, referring to Danish combat deployments alongside American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The Vice President’s reference to Denmark is not accurate,” she said, expressing her readiness to “cooperate day and night with the Americans” on Arctic security.
The Vance's itinerary for their Greenland visit was scaled back after a plan for a more extensive trip drew criticism from officials in Greenland and Denmark. Photo / Getty Images
Vance was accompanied by his wife Usha, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Utah Senator Mike Lee and former Homeland Security Advisor Julia Nesheiwat, who is Waltz’s wife.
The US delegation boarded Air Force Two to leave Greenland just before 18:00GMT (7am NZDT), with the Vances waving at the top of the aircraft stairs.
Frederiksen has condemned the US decision to visit the Arctic island uninvited - for what was initially a broader visit to Greenlandic society - as “unacceptable pressure” on Greenland and Denmark.
A majority of Greenlanders opposes US annexation, according to a January poll.
The Pituffik base is an essential part of Washington’s missile defence infrastructure, its location in the Arctic putting it on the shortest route for missiles fired from Russia at the United States.
Known as Thule Air Base until 2023, it served as a warning post for possible attacks from the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, a former mining executive, told Fox News on Thursday that he hoped the United States and Greenland could cooperate on mining to “bring jobs and economic opportunity to Greenland and critical minerals and resources to the United States”.
Trump’s desire to take over the ice-covered territory, which is seeking independence from Denmark, has been categorically rejected by Greenlanders, their politicians and Danish officials.
A new broad four-party coalition government was announced in Greenland just hours before the US delegation’s arrival, following elections earlier this month.
Incoming prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the territory needed unity at this time.
“It is very important that we put aside our disagreements and differences... because only in this way will we be able to cope with the heavy pressure we are exposed to from outside,” he said when he unveiled his government.
