logo
US Vice President Vance to visit Greenland, the island Trump wants to control

US Vice President Vance to visit Greenland, the island Trump wants to control

Arab News28-03-2025

NUUK: US Vice President JD Vance will visit Greenland on Friday at a time when President Donald Trump is renewing his insistence that Washington should take control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.In a scaled-back version of a trip plan that had angered authorities in both Greenland and Denmark, Vance was expected to fly to the US military base at Pituffik in the north of the Arctic island.Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen.The initial plan had been for Vance's wife, Usha, to visit a popular dog-sled race together with national security adviser Mike Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark.Waltz, who has faced pressure over Trump administration officials' discussion of sensitive Houthi attack plans on the Signal messaging app, will still be on the Greenland trip, according to a White House source.Greenland's acting Prime Minister Mute Egede called the visit a provocation as the country has not yet formed a new government after a March 11 election.Public broadcaster KNR reported on Thursday, without identifying its sources, that a pro-business party that emerged as the winner of the election will present a broad coalition on Friday.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the US visit 'unacceptable' although Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen welcomed news of the revised visit as a positive, de-escalating step.By changing the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security program at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank.'A change of course was needed,' Sendak told Reuters. 'It is positive, given the very public back and forth between the Danish and Greenland governments and the Trump administration about the intent of the initial visit.'Still, Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security.'So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark,' he said on Wednesday.Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen condemned what he called Trump's escalated rhetoric.Who benefits from dispute? The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute.'It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means to try to get full control over Greenland,' he told Reuters.That would break with many fundamental principles and rules that the US has benefited from and has been a pillar for, he said.'But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments,' he added.'And the real winner in this unnecessary drama is Russia, who gets exactly what they want: discord in the transatlantic relationship.'Tom Dans, a former member of the US Arctic Research Commission during Trump's first presidency, said Vance's visit would help the Trump administration understand where it can collaborate further with Greenland.'They're trying to put the picture together for the future and understand where the best intersections are going to be for US policy and investments to help Greenland,' Dans, a businessman, told Reuters.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

US-China Trade Deal 'Done': Trump
US-China Trade Deal 'Done': Trump

Leaders

time3 hours ago

  • Leaders

US-China Trade Deal 'Done': Trump

The US and China have agreed on a trade deal after two days of talks in London between American and Chinese officials. On Wednesday, the US President, Donald Trump, announced that a deal with China had been finalized. 'Our deal with China is done,' he posted on his Truth Social platform. US-China Trade Deal Trump added that the deal, which is subject to approval from China's President Xi Jinping and himself, will grant the US access to the rare earth metals it needs, while the Chinese college students will be able to attend American universities. 'Full magnets, and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China. Likewise, we will provide to China what was agreed to, including Chinese students using our colleges and universities,' he said. 'We are getting a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%. Relationship is excellent!' Trump noted. Framework Agreement The announcement followed two days of negotiations between American and Chinese officials in London to resolve trade disputes and ease export restrictions, reported Reuters. Both sides agreed on Tuesday on a 'framework deal' that adds crucial details to implement the consensus reached last month in Geneva to ease reciprocal retaliatory tariffs, according to the US Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick. 'We have reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus and the call between the two presidents,' Lutnik said, referring to a phone call last week between Trump and Xi, which the US President said was a 'very good talk.' Lutnik told reporters that the framework would remove restrictions on Chinese exports of rare earth minerals and magnets and some of the recent US export restrictions 'in a balanced way,' without providing details. Similarly, the Chinese Vice Commerce Minister, Li Chenggang, said in a separate briefing that the US and China had reached a trade framework 'in principle' pending the approval of both presidents. Geneva Talks Last month, the US and China agreed to suspend most of their reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, following two days of talks in Geneva, Switzerland. Both sides announced in a joint statement that they agreed on a 110% tariff reduction for 90 days. Thus, the US would reduce tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China would lower duties on US goods from 125% to 10%, taking effect on May 14, 2025. Short link : Post Views: 126

Report: US Embassy in Iraq Preparing for Ordered Evacuation Due to ‘Heightened Security Risks'
Report: US Embassy in Iraq Preparing for Ordered Evacuation Due to ‘Heightened Security Risks'

Asharq Al-Awsat

time3 hours ago

  • Asharq Al-Awsat

Report: US Embassy in Iraq Preparing for Ordered Evacuation Due to ‘Heightened Security Risks'

The US embassy in Iraq is preparing for an ordered evacuation due to heightened security risks in the region, an Iraqi security official and a US source said on Wednesday. Iran's Minister of Defense Aziz Nasirzadeh said earlier in the day that Tehran will strike US bases in the region if nuclear talks and conflict arise with Washington. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "The State Department is set to have an ordered departure for (the) US embassy in Baghdad. The intent is to do it through commercial means, but the US military is standing by if help is requested," another US official said. US President Donald Trump said he was less confident that Iran will agree to stop uranium enrichment in a nuclear deal with Washington, according to an interview released on Wednesday. Another US official said that there was no change in operations at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military base in the Middle East and that no evacuation order had been issued for employees or families linked to the US Embassy in Qatar, which was operating as usual. Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran with bombing if it does not reach a new nuclear deal.

Elon Musk walks back Trump criticism; arrests in LA over curfew violations
Elon Musk walks back Trump criticism; arrests in LA over curfew violations

Al Arabiya

time5 hours ago

  • Al Arabiya

Elon Musk walks back Trump criticism; arrests in LA over curfew violations

In this episode of W News, presented by Leigh-Ann Gerrans, we report on police arresting at least 25 people in Los Angeles for curfew violations during protests against President Trump's immigration crackdown. We also cover Elon Musk expressing regret over some of his recent social media posts about Trump, saying they 'went too far.' Guests: John Kavulich – Senior Editor for Outcome Modeling Analysis at Issue Insight Andrea Teneti – UNIFIL spokesperson Camille Nedelec – Correspondent

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store