By Titilope Adako
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, has accused the United States of interfering in the country’s political affairs as a high-profile American delegation prepares to visit the Danish territory.
The White House confirmed that Usha Vance, wife of US Vice President JD Vance, will travel to Greenland this week with her son, accompanied by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
Egede condemned the visit, saying, “Our integrity and democracy must be respected without foreign interference.”
He emphasised that the delegation’s arrival from Thursday to Saturday “cannot be seen as just a private visit.”
The controversy comes as former US President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January, has renewed his interest in Greenland.
Trump previously attempted to buy the territory in 2019 and has since refused to rule out the use of force to claim it.
Egede revealed that Washington was informed there would be “no talks” until a new Greenlandic government was formed following the March 11 elections, which resulted in a hung parliament and left him leading a caretaker administration.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, leader of the centre-right Democrats and a frontrunner to become the next prime minister, has criticised Trump’s approach, calling it “inappropriate and disrespectful to Greenland’s sovereignty.”
“We must stand together and resist unacceptable treatment. We alone decide our future,” Egede insisted.
Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory with aspirations for full independence, holds vast untapped mineral and oil reserves.
However, the country currently bans oil and uranium exploration.
While opinion polls indicate most Greenlanders support independence from Denmark, there is little public appetite for becoming part of the United States.
In early January, Donald Trump Jr also made an unannounced visit to Greenland, further fuelling speculation about American intentions in the Arctic region.
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