Latest news with #Jyllands-Posten
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Sends Usha Vance on Charm Offensive to Greenland
President Donald Trump is relying on a new face to win the hearts and minds of Greenlanders he hopes will aid his push for a takeover of the island territory: Second Lady Usha Vance. In a statement Sunday, the White House announced that Vance will voyage to Greenland on Thursday, March 27, with her son and a delegation to 'visit historical sites, learn about Greenlandic heritage, and attend the Avannaata Qimussersu, Greenland's national dogsled race.' The popular local event brings around '37 mushers and 444 dogs in a remarkable display of speed, skill, and teamwork' the statement continued, which maintained a more light-hearted tone than most of the president's past statements on the territory. The White House also reiterated that Vance's trip was to 'celebrate Greenlandic culture and unity.' In an Instagram video Sunday, the second lady further reflected on her upcoming trip and said she was particularly excited to watch the dogsled race, 'which our country is proud to support as a sponsor.' National Security Adviser Michael Waltz is also reportedly slated to travel to Greenland this week, though on a separate itinerary than Vance. His visit was first reported by two Danish news outlets, Berlingske and Jyllands-Posten, and was additionally confirmed by an anonymous source to CBS News, who added that Waltz will visit the Pituffik Space Base. A White House official additionally confirmed Waltz's attendance to the Daily Beast. Greenland has long been in Trump's sights—he spoke of acquiring the territory from Denmark during his first administration, but only recently became more serious about the endeavor. He has repeatedly talked of taking it over, and refused to rule out the use of military force to do so. Though the Trump administration refrained from using the president's typical rhetoric when announcing Vance's trip this week, Greenland's Prime Minister Múte Egede described the incoming visits from several senior officials as 'highly aggressive.' In comments to local Greenlandic newspaper, Sermitsiaq, Egede said, 'What is the national security adviser doing in Greenland?' 'The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us,' he continued. 'His mere presence in Greenland will no doubt fuel American belief in Trump's mission—and the pressure will increase.' The comments are the latest in a heated back-and-forth. Trump recently declared during an address to a joint session of Congress earlier this month: 'We need Greenland for national security and even international security. And we're working with everybody involved to try and get it.' 'But we need it really for international world security. And I think we're going to get it. One way or the other, we're going to get it,' the president continued. 'We will keep you safe. We will make you rich. And together, we will take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before,' he added, simultaneously noting that he believes in the territory's self-determination. In response to Trump's remarks at the time, Egede quipped back in a Facebook post where he reiterated 'Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland in the Greenlandic language) is ours.' 'We don't want to be Americans, nor Danes; We are Kalaallit,' he continued. 'The Americans and their leader must understand that. We are not for sale and cannot simply be taken. Our future will be decided by us in Greenland.' The world's largest island, Greenland is an autonomous Danish dependent territory with self-government and its own parliament. In a February interview with Fox News, Vice President JD Vance slammed Denmark - 'which controls Greenland' - for 'not doing its job' and for 'not being a good ally.' 'How are we going to solve that problem, solve our national security?,' the vice president continued. 'If that means we need to take more territorial interest in Greenland, that is what President Trump is going to do because he doesn't care about what the Europeans scream at us, he cares about putting the interests of America's citizens first.' At the start of the year, the president announced that his son, Donald Trump Jr., would be visiting the island to take in 'some of the most magnificent areas and sights.' Trump Jr.'s subsequent leisurely trip to Greenland's capital, Nuuk, saw him visiting a handful of local spots and posing with some of his dad's supporters.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Usha Vance, wife of US vice president, to visit Greenland on Thursday
The wife of Vice President JD Vance, Usha Vance, is to travel to Greenland this week, the White House confirmed on Sunday, amid fears of a possible US takeover of the territory. Vance's visit comes just weeks after President Donald Trump's son travelled to the strategically located and resource-rich Arctic island. According to the White House, Vance will travel to Greenland on Thursday with her son and a US delegation. She will visit historical sites, learn more about Greenlandic heritage and attend a traditional dog sled race in the town of Sisimiut, it said. The race begins on Saturday, when Vance is scheduled to return to the United States. Citing anonymous sources, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten and broadcasters DR and TV 2 reported that Vance will be joined by Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, however the US has not officially confirmed this. According to the reports, the US government requested official meetings with Danish and Greenlandic representatives, which were denied. Trump has been talking about wanting to seize control of Greenland for months, and has not ruled out using military force. He often justifies this on the grounds of national and international security, apparently viewing the semi-autonomous territory as a strategic prize. In early January, his son Donald Trump Jr travelled to the capital Nuuk for a one-day visit that drew significant media attention. Politicians and the majority of the population on the island, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, are against it becoming a US territory. A week ago, hundreds of people in Nuuk and elsewhere protested against Trump's apparent takeover plans. Greenland's politicians are in the process of forming a new government shortly after a parliamentary election. Local elections will also be held on the island on April 1. "It is clear that the Trump camp does not respect our right to self-determination without outside interference," a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, Aaja Chemnitz, wrote on Facebook.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Usha Vance, wife of US vice president, reportedly bound for Greenland
Weeks after President Donald Trump's son visited Greenland amid fears of a possible US takeover of the territory, the wife of Vice President JD Vance is now also said to be planning a trip in the coming days. Usha Vance and Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are planning a joint trip to the remote and resource-rich Arctic island, local and Danish media reported. According the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq, Vance will first travel to the capital Nuuk and then attend a traditional dog sled race in the town of Sisimiut, which begins on March 29. Vivian Motzfeldt, Greenland's acting foreign minister, confirmed the visit to the Jyllands-Posten newspaper. However, she said she did not know the exact travel schedule or programme. Citing anonymous sources, Danish broadcasters DR and TV 2 also reported that the US vice president's wife and Waltz are undertaking the trip in a private capacity. According to the reports, the US government requested official meetings with Danish and Greenlandic representatives but was denied. The trip has not yet been officially confirmed by the US side. Trump has been talking about wanting to seize control of Greenland for months, and has not ruled out using military force. He often justifies this on the grounds of national and international security, apparently viewing the semi-autonomous territory as a strategic prize. In early January, his son Donald Trump Jr travelled to Nuuk for a one-day visit that drew significant media attention. Politicians and the majority of the population on the island, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, are against it becoming a US territory. A week ago, hundreds of people in Nuuk and elsewhere protested against Trump's apparent takeover plans. Greenland's politicians are in the process of forming a new government shortly after a parliamentary election. Local elections will also be held on the island on April 1. "It is clear that the Trump camp does not respect our right to self-determination without outside interference," a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, Aaja Chemnitz, wrote on Facebook.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Denmark to increase military spending in Arctic by $2 billion - as Trump sets his sights on Greenland
Denmark is set to increase military spending in its Arctic semiautonomous territory of Greenland by the equivalent of $2 billion following multiple aggressive statements by U.S. President Donald Trump about purchasing the territory. Greenland, a massive island in the North Atlantic, has grown increasingly important in recent years as the Arctic ice melts, opening up new sea routes for commercial shipping. Trump has called for U.S. control of Greenland since his first term in office. 'Ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity' for national security reasons, the president has said, and he has refused to rule out using military or economic force to gain control of the territory. In a statement Monday announcing the boost in spending, Greenland government member Vivian Motzfeldt said the territory is 'facing a changing security landscape,' according to The New York Times. Copenhagen is spending more on its North Atlantic territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands as part of an agreement struck last year amid rising tensions in the Arctic between the U.S., Russia and China. But the announcement of the growth in spending was likely pushed forward amid increased strains in the relationship between Copenhagen and Washington over control of Greenland, Niels Thulesen Dahl, a political analyst at Jyllands-Posten, a Danish daily, said, according to The Times. The governments of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands will buy three Arctic naval vessels to patrol its waters according to the agreement. In addition, they will also obtain two long-range drones and satellites for increased surveillance in the area, the official statement said. The Danish government added that the new increased budget will also include funding for training young people in Greenland 'to acquire important skills allowing them to take responsibility for preparedness.' 'We must face the fact that there are serious challenges regarding security and defense in the Arctic and North Atlantic,' Danish defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in the statement. Just a day after the announcement was made, Danish Prime Minister Metter Frederiksen met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and the NATO secretary general, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The meetings with Western allies come after she spoke on the phone with Trump last week, with European officials describing the call as momentarily aggressive and antagonistic. 'The agreement has become slightly larger than it would otherwise have been,' Dahl added, according to The Times. He said that the announcement revealed that Greenland and Denmark have shared interests, rejecting the notion that the Greenlandic people would welcome American control of the territory. 'Much of the current discussion and tension feeds into a narrative that Denmark and Greenland have no shared interests and that Greenlanders simply want to move as quickly as possible away from Denmark and into the arms of the Americans,' Dahl added, noting that this is an inaccurate impression. While Trump has repeatedly said the U.S. would like to buy Greenland, both the Danes and the local authorities in the Greenland capital of Nuuk have said that the territory is not for sale. Denmark ruled over it for more than 200 years and retains some control over its defense and foreign policy. Earlier this month, before he was sworn in for his second term, Trump claimed, 'People don't even know if Denmark has any legal right to it. But if they do, they should give it up because we need it for national security.' The idea of buying Greenland initially came to Trump from cosmetics billionaire Ronald Lauder, according to the 2022 book The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021 by Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker. Trump and Lauder have known each other since their college days. The notion was subject to months of internal study and debate, much to the bemusement of cabinet secretaries and aides to the president. 'A friend of mine, a really, really experienced businessman, thinks we can get Greenland,' Trump told his National Security adviser, according to the book. 'What do you think?'
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Denmark to increase military spending in Arctic by $2 billion - as Trump sets his sights on Greenland
Denmark is set to increase military spending in its Arctic semiautonomous territory of Greenland by the equivalent of $2 billion following multiple aggressive statements by U.S. President Donald Trump about purchasing the territory. Greenland, a massive island in the North Atlantic, has grown increasingly important in recent years as the Arctic ice melts, opening up new sea routes for commercial shipping. Trump has called for U.S. control of Greenland since his first term in office. 'Ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity' for national security reasons, the president has said, and he has refused to rule out using military or economic force to gain control of the territory. In a statement Monday announcing the boost in spending, Greenland government member Vivian Motzfeldt said the territory is 'facing a changing security landscape,' according to The New York Times. Copenhagen is spending more on its North Atlantic territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands as part of an agreement struck last year amid rising tensions in the Arctic between the U.S., Russia and China. But the announcement of the growth in spending was likely pushed forward amid increased strains in the relationship between Copenhagen and Washington over control of Greenland, Niels Thulesen Dahl, a political analyst at Jyllands-Posten, a Danish daily, said, according to The Times. The governments of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands will buy three Arctic naval vessels to patrol its waters according to the agreement. In addition, they will also obtain two long-range drones and satellites for increased surveillance in the area, the official statement said. The Danish government added that the new increased budget will also include funding for training young people in Greenland 'to acquire important skills allowing them to take responsibility for preparedness.' 'We must face the fact that there are serious challenges regarding security and defense in the Arctic and North Atlantic,' Danish defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in the statement. Just a day after the announcement was made, Danish Prime Minister Metter Frederiksen met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and the NATO secretary general, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The meetings with Western allies come after she spoke on the phone with Trump last week, with European officials describing the call as momentarily aggressive and antagonistic. 'The agreement has become slightly larger than it would otherwise have been,' Dahl added, according to The Times. He said that the announcement revealed that Greenland and Denmark have shared interests, rejecting the notion that the Greenlandic people would welcome American control of the territory. 'Much of the current discussion and tension feeds into a narrative that Denmark and Greenland have no shared interests and that Greenlanders simply want to move as quickly as possible away from Denmark and into the arms of the Americans,' Dahl added, noting that this is an inaccurate impression. While Trump has repeatedly said the U.S. would like to buy Greenland, both the Danes and the local authorities in the Greenland capital of Nuuk have said that the territory is not for sale. Denmark ruled over it for more than 200 years and retains some control over its defense and foreign policy. Earlier this month, before he was sworn in for his second term, Trump claimed, 'People don't even know if Denmark has any legal right to it. But if they do, they should give it up because we need it for national security.' The idea of buying Greenland initially came to Trump from cosmetics billionaire Ronald Lauder, according to the 2022 book The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021 by Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker. Trump and Lauder have known each other since their college days. The notion was subject to months of internal study and debate, much to the bemusement of cabinet secretaries and aides to the president. 'A friend of mine, a really, really experienced businessman, thinks we can get Greenland,' Trump told his National Security adviser, according to the book. 'What do you think?'
