The US Vice President, JD Vance, has slammed Denmark who “hasn’t kept pace”, claiming the territory around the Greenland base he’s visiting was less secure than 30 or 40 years ago. He and his wife Usha Vance arrived in the US government’s Air Force 2 plane at the Pituffik Space Base in the north west of the country, and the politician said it was “cold as s**t” as he noted the -19C temperatures.
JD Vance told US troops at a military base: “I’ve never been to Greenland. Apparently I’m the first vice-president to ever visit Greenland. That’s a pretty cool thing.”
The trip had to be majorly scaled down after locals in Greenland, a Danish territory with a large degree of autonomy, voiced their anger.
Today’s visit will focus on a US base in Pituffik, a town in northern Greenland. Ahead of the Vances’ arrival, Greenlandic telecommunications operator Tusass said “all communication to Pituffik” were down. In a statement issued after noon, the organisation said: “The investigation has been initiated and we are trying to re-establish the connection as soon as possible.” The communications were re-established shortly afterwards, with the company explaining the technical issue was due to a power outage at the town.
The decision to scale down the visit came after American officials were reportedly left scrambling to find someone willing to meet Mrs Vance in Greenland’s capital Nuuk. Danish television station TV2 claimed the officials even went door-knocking to search people who wanted to meet the Second Lady, only to be told: “No, thank you”. The visit comes amid increasingly concerning threats from the White House, with US President Donald Trump arguing in favour of the States taking over the territory for the sake of its national security.
1 month ago22:44 Richard Ashmore
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1 month ago21:05 Richard Ashmore
Donald Trump makes new threat towards GreenlandPresident Trump said America was “not going to let that happen” when it came to Russian and Chinese ships using waterways near Greenland.
He said: “If you look at Greenland right now, if you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place, and we’re not going to be able to do that. We’re not relying on Denmark or anybody else to take care of that situation.
“And we’re not talking about peace for the United States. We’re talking about world peace. We’re talking about international security. And right now you look at it, you have warships all over the place going through, right along Greenland.
He said the United States was “not going to let that happen”.
Donald Trump spoke about Greenland (Image: Getty )
1 month ago20:39 Richard Ashmore
JD Vance shares propaganda declaring US and Greenland are ‘destined’ to be togetherPosting on X Mr Vance shared an American propaganda video declaring it was ‘destiny’ for the US and Greenland to work together.
He wrote: “Usha and I are on our way home from an incredible journey to Greenland. We can’t wait to come back again soon.
“America stands with Greenland!”
Narrated in the style of a trailer for a Hollywood film, the “America stands with Greenland” video referenced World War II and the Nazis and discussed how US troops headed to Greenland in the 1940s to defend the nation. It also said Chinese and Russian aggression was the new threat and that “now was the time to stand together again, for peace, for security, for the future”.
Usha and I are on our way home from an incredible journey to Greenland. We can’t wait to come back again soon.
America stands with Greenland! pic.twitter.com/UGb7zR3Y70
u2014 JD Vance (@JDVance) March 28, 2025 1 month ago19:51 Richard Ashmore
JD Vance blasts Canada despite warm words from TrumpUS Vice President JD Vance says Canada ‘doesn’t have the cards’ in a trade war with the United States.
He said: “As President Trump always says they just don’t have the cards, there is no way that Canada can win a trade war with the United States.”
Vance claimed that for decades Canada’s leadership has forced American farmers and American manufacturers to play by an unfair set of rules.
Trump renegotiated the free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico in his first term. At the time Trump called it the “most modern, up-to-date, and balanced trade agreement in the history of our country, with the most advanced protections for workers ever developed.”
President Donald Trump said on Friday that his first call with new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was “extremely productive” and Mr Carney said talks on a new relationship will begin after the Canadian election next month.
The call came as Trump has declared a trade war on Canada and has threatened to use economic coercion to make Canada the 51st US state, a position that has infuriated Canadians. Trump avoided any mention of that in his social media post.
The US president, in his post, said the two sides “agree on many things and will be meeting immediately after Canada’s upcoming Election to work on elements of Politics, Business, and all other factors, that will end up being great for both the United States of America and Canada.”
Trump later called the prime minister by his first name Mark. He didn’t refer to the prime minister as governor as he did with Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau.
“We are going to end up with a very good relationship with Canada,” Trump said. “I think things are going to work out very well between Canada and the United States.”
Carney’s office said in a statement they will begin comprehensive negotiations for a “new economic and security relationship” immediately after the Canadian election on April 28.
1 month ago19:21 Richard Ashmore
Vance defends group chat where he appeared to disagree with Trump over airstrikesJD Vance defended his policy break with Trump during a leaked Signal chat. The vice president was part of a group chat discussing airstrikes on Yemen before they occurred.
On it, Vance appeared to break with Trump.
He questioned whether the president recognised that the US attack meant to safeguard international shipping lanes clashed with Vance’s previous assertions that European countries weren’t doing enough to protect shipping interests.
“Sometimes we all agree. Sometimes we all disagree,” Vance said on Friday.
He insisted he supported the strikes, adding it’s “important we all have an honest conversation among ourselves” on national security.
1 month ago19:10 Richard Ashmore
JD Vance and wife Usha board Air Force Two to leave GreenlandUS Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance waved goodbye as they boarded Air Force Two after touring the US military’s Pituffik Space Base in Greenland.
JD Vance and wife leave (Image: Getty )
1 month ago19:04 Richard Ashmore
Four key messages from JD Vance’s speechMr Vance said he believed Greenlanders would choose to become independent of Denmark and that “then we’re going to have conversations with the people of Greenland from there”.
He ruled out a military takeover of the world’s biggest island, adding “We do not think military force is ever going to be necessary”.
Mr Vance warned Russia, China and unnamed other countries were taking “extraordinary interest in Arctic passageways and Arctic naval routes”.
The vice president blamed Denmark for not doing “a good job of keeping Greenland safe.”
JD Vance gives a speech to troops at base (Image: Getty )
1 month ago18:57 Richard Ashmore
Vance believes Greenlanders will choose to become independent from DenmarkJD Vance is asked if the US have plans to take Greenland by force.
He said: “What we think is going to happen is that the Greenlanders are going to choose – through self-determination – to become independent of Denmark, and then we’re going to have conversations with the people of Greenland from there.”
He added: “We do not think military force is ever going to be necessary”.
1 month ago18:54 Richard Ashmore
Vance delegation pose for photos against stunning Greenland backdropJD Vance and his wife Usha and US officials took time out to pose for photos against the frozen stunning backdrop of the Greenland landscape.
US Vice President JD Vance poses with Second Lady Usha Vance (Image: Getty )
US Vice President JD Vance (C) poses with Second Lady Usha Vance and delegation (Image: Getty )
1 month ago18:50 Richard Ashmore
Our argument is with Denmark not the people of Greenland, JD VanceContinuing his speech, Mr Vance said: “We obviously honour the sacrifice of our Danish friends in the War on Terror 20 years ago, just as for example the French honour the sacrifice of Americans in Normandy 80 years ago.
“But recognising that we had important security partnerships in the past does not mean that we can’t have disagreements with allies in the present about how to preserve our shared security for the future, and that’s what this is about. There’s no amount of bullying, no amount of obfuscating, no amount of confusing the issue, our message to Denmark is very simple, ‘you have not done a good job by the people of Greenland, you have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible beautiful landmass filled with incredible people’.
“That has to change, and because it hasn’t changed, this is why President Trump’s policy in Greenland is what it is.
“We respect the self-determination of Greenland, of Greenlanders, we believe in the self-determination of the population of the people of Greenland, and our argument is very simple, it is not with the people of Greenland, who I think are incredible and have an incredible opportunity here, our argument is with the leadership of Denmark which has underinvested in Greenland…”
JD Vance in Greenland (Image: Getty )
1 month ago18:39 Richard Ashmore
JD Vance says he stated the obvious that Denmark ‘hasn’t done a good job’Mr Vance said: “President Trump, as he says all the time, and that a lot of people recognise, is a president of peace, we want to have the relationship with everybody, and that includes even, to the extent possible, the Chinese and the Russians… part of having good relations is showing your strength when you have to, and unfortunately the story of Greenland over the past 20 years when it comes to security is that we’ve underinvested in the infrastructure, we’ve under invested in the security architecture and we’ve underinvested in the brave men and women who are doing a very hard job as Mike (Waltz) said to keep all of us safe. That has to change.
“When I pointed out a couple of weeks ago, that in some ways, with all due respect to our Danish allies, they have not kept pace, there was a lot of criticism from Denmark, a lot of attacks at the Trump administration, at the president, at me, at others in our administration for saying the obvious, which is that Denmark hasn’t done a good job of keeping Greenland safe.”
1 month ago18:31 Richard Ashmore
JD Vance says Denmark has not ‘kept pace’The vice president spoke to assembled members of the US base, and said: “This place, this base, the surrounding area is less secure than it was 30 to 40 years ago because some of our allies have not kept up.
“As China and Russia have taken greater and greater interest in Greenland, in this base, in the activities of the brave Americans right here, we know that too often our allies in Europe have not kept pace. They haven’t kept pace with military spending and Denmark has not kept pace in devoting the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view to keep the people of Greenland safe from a lot of very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China and from other nations.
“If a missile was fired from an enemy country, or an enemy submarine into the United States, it is the people here before us who would give notice to our brave men and women further south in the United States, to let people know what was coming, and God willing to try to shoot it down and prepare for it.
“We know that Russia and China and other nations are taking an extraordinary interest in Arctic passageways and Arctic naval routes, and indeed in the minerals of the Arctic territories, we need to ensure that America is leading in the Arctic because we know that is America doesn’t other nations will fill the gap where we fall behind.”
1 month ago18:17 Richard Ashmore
JD Vance attacks Denmark in speechVice president JD Vance said Denmark had “failed”, claiming the territory around the base was less secure than 30 or 40 years ago because “some of our allies haven’t kept up”.
1 month ago18:15 Richard Ashmore
JD Vance opens his remarks to soldiersMr Vance said President Donald Trump was thinking about them as he opened his remarks to the staff at the base.
JD Vance speaking at base (Image: BBC )
1 month ago18:00 Richard Ashmore
Vance makes choice remark when his team lands in GreenlandIt was -19 degrees C when the US delegation landed to sunny skies at the remote US base 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
Mr Vance joked: “It’s cold as s*** here. Nobody told me.”
1 month ago17:52 Richard Ashmore
Donald Trump issues statement about GreenlandThousands of miles south from where officials from his administration are visiting Greenland, President Donald Trump has issued what appeared to be a warning to Europe over the territory, which is currently overseen by NATO member Denmark.
Speaking in Washington, Mr Trump said Greenland is “very important for the peace of the world”.
He added: “I think the European Union understands it, and if they don’t, we’re going to have to explain it.”
1 month ago17:41 Richard Ashmore
Journalists asked to leave briefing as Vance discusses ‘lusty seals’According to the BBC, the US vice president and his wife sat down with American soldiers at the Pituffik Space Base and cameras were asked to leave.
Mr Vance told the press pack: “now reporters get out, so we can talk about this stuff”.
The vice president mentioned he was going to “embarrass” Colonel Myers, who is sat next to him at the meeting.
Vance said Myers completed the “polar bear plunge”, adding:”And let it be known this task of questionable sanity was accomplished despite near freezing temperatures, the threat of collapsing icebergs and lusty seals.
The BBC reports Ms Myers said the challenge, held in July, involved going “into the ocean, go in a few feet, swim a couple of feet and then come out.
“And then you get a certificate for your stupidity.”
JD Vance and wife meet with officials (Image: Getty )
JD Vance and wife meet with officials (Image: Getty )
1 month ago17:24 Richard Ashmore
US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz spotted in the wingsUS National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has been photographed shifting through paperwork in the background as vice president JD Vance and his wife Usha met with soldiers at the Pituffik base in Greenland.
Mr Waltz has been subject to intense scrutiny after the apparent leaking of war plans concerning Yemen in a group chat a journalist had been accidentally added to.
US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (Image: Getty )
US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (Image: Getty )
1 month ago17:01 Richard Ashmore
JD Vance and wife sit down for a meal with troopsUS Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha sat down to eat a meal with soldiers at the US military’s Pituffik Space Base in Pituffik, Greenland.
The itinerary for the visit was scaled back after a plan for a more extensive trip drew criticism from officials in Greenland and Denmark, which controls foreign and defence policy of the semiautonomous territory.
JD Vance and his wife with troops (Image: Getty )
JD Vance and his wife with troops (Image: Getty )
1 month ago16:35 Richard Ashmore
JD Vance and wife Usha in Greenland first picturesVice President JD Vance, his wife and senior US officials have arrived at an American military base in Greenland in a trip that was scaled back after an uproar among Greenlanders and Danes who were irked that the original itinerary was planned without consulting them.
Soon after arriving, Vance briefly addressed US troops stationed at the base as he and his wife sat down to lunch with them, saying that that he’s “really interested in Arctic security.”
“As you all know, it’s a big issue and it’s only going to get bigger over the coming decades,” said Vance, who was scheduled later to receive briefings from military officials and deliver remarks.
JD Vance has arrived in Greenland (Image: Getty )
JD Vance has arrived in Greenland (Image: Getty )
1 month ago15:44 Richard Ashmore
JD Vance says ‘on our way’ to GreenlandPosting on X, the vice president wrote: “We’re on our way and looking forward to it!”.
1 month ago15:41 Richard Ashmore
Pituffik Space Base facts and figuresThe remote Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, which Vice President JD Vance is visiting on Friday, is the US Department of Defence’s northernmost installation.
The base was built following a 1951 defence agreement between Denmark and the United States. It supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the US and NATO.
The Pituffik base is located on the northwestern coast of Greenland, about 750 miles north of the the Arctic Circle and 947 miles south of the North Pole. It is about 930 miles north of Greenland’s capital, Nuuk.
It was known as the Thule Air Base until 2023, when it was renamed to recognize Greenlandic cultural heritage and reflect its role in the relatively new US Space Force.
The base is locked in by ice for nine months of the year, but its airfield remains open all year round. It is in constant darkness from November to February and constant daylight from May to August.
It is operated by the 821st Space Base Group and is also home to the world’s northernmost deepwater sea port. The nearest town is Qaanaaq, 75 miles to the northwest.
1 month ago14:15 Toby Codd
Greenlandic PM repeats criticism of Vance’s visitJens-Frederik Nielsen, the new Greenlandic prime minister, spoke to reporters from the Danish DR news channel.
He said he wanted to have constructive chats with both Denmark and the US. However, he said that JD Vance’s visit “is not showing respect for an ally”.
He said: “I think it is a shame, but now we have a government that needs to get to work, and that will start immediately.”
Jens-Frederik Nielsen (Image: Getty)
1 month ago13:40 Toby Codd
JD Vance expected to speak at Pituffik Space BaseUS vice president JD Vance is expected to speak at the Pituffik Space Base at around 5.45pm UK time this afternoon.
1 month ago12:59 Toby Codd
Communication to Pituffik was downGreenlandic telecommunications operator Tusass said that “all communication to Pituffik” was down. They previously said: “The investigation has been initiated and we are trying to re-establish the connection as soon as possible.”
It has since been restored. Tussas said the technical issue was related to a local power outage.
1 month ago12:32 Toby Codd
JD Vance’s Greenland itinerary stripped backUsha Vance was set to visit a popular dog-sled race in Greenland with Mike Waltz. However, there was blacklash as neither had been officially invited by the Greenland or Denmark authorities.
JD Vance’s trip was then changed to a one-day visit following protests.
1 month ago12:06 Toby Codd
JD Vance’s plane left for Greenland this morningAccording to CBS News senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs, JD Vance’s plane left for Greenland this morning. They are set to arrive at around 3.30pm UK time.
He was joined by his wife Usha, as well as national security adviser Mike Waltz, his wife Julia Nesheiwat, energy secretary Chris Wright and US Senator Mike Lee.
1 month ago11:17 Toby Codd
‘We cannot hand over 57,000 citiziens to US’Rasmus Jarlov, chair of Denmark’s defence committee, said on CNN last night: “We can’t do it. We cannot hand over 57,000 of our citizens to become Americans against their will.”
He was also asked if there could be a situation where the US tries to use force to claim Greenland.
He replied: “I certainly hope not, but that’s up to the American government. We’re not going to back down. We’re not going to hand over Greenland, regardless of what type of pressure is applied to us.”
1 month ago10:33 Toby Codd
The Pituffik Space BaseThe Pituffik Space Base is located around 932 miles from Greenland’s capital Nuuk. It plays an essential role in US missile detection.
The base, formerly known as Thule airbase, is locked in by ice for nine months of the year. There is also no sunlight there for three months of the year.
(Image: Getty)
1 month ago09:32 Toby Codd
‘The world needs us to have Greenland’, says TrumpEarlier this week, Donald Trump said: “It’s an island that from a defensive posture, and even offensive posture, is something we need, especially with the world the way it is, and we’re going to have to have it.”
“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.”
1 month ago09:06 Toby Codd
‘No one wants to talk to Usha Vance’US officials are working on finding locals in Greenland who want to speak with Usha Vance. However, according to Danish TV 2, no one in the Danish-controlled territory wants to talk with the Second Lady.
1 month ago08:41 Toby Codd
Trump’s statements are a ‘hidden threat’Donald Trump said the US will “go as far as we have to go” to gain control of Greenland. He added that the US “needed” the island for national security.
However, the Danish defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, said that Trump’s statements were “far out” and “a hidden threat”.
He told Danish broadcaster TV2: “It is not fair for the American president to use that rhetoric.
“You are going too far both in terms of interfering in internal affairs in Greenland and not least in the lack of respect for the fact that it is the people of Greenland who determine Greenland’s future.”
1 month ago08:16 Toby Codd
Visit has ‘nothing to do with’ DenmarkLars Løkke Rasmussen, Denmark’s minister for foreign affairs, said: “This is about an American vice-president who is going to visit his own military installation in Greenland. It has nothing to do with us.”
1 month ago08:01 Toby Codd
Vance wants to ‘reinvigorate security of the people of Greenland’The vice president will visit Pituffik – a remote ice-locked US military base in northwestern Greenland.
On his visit, JD Vance said: “Speaking for President Trump, we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it’s important to protect the security of the entire world.”
1 month ago07:56 Toby Codd
US plans to acquire Greenland are serious, Putin saysVladimir Putin told an Arctic forum in Murmansk that US plans to acquire Greenland are “serious”.
He said: “We are talking about serious plans on the American side with regard to Greenland. These plans have longstanding historical roots.”
1 month ago07:53 Toby Codd
‘We would rather not have him in Greenland’Leaders in Nuuk and Copenhagen have voiced their opposition to the trip amid ongoing threats by Donald Trump to take over Greenland.
A government source said: “It’s safe to say we would rather not have him [Vance] in Greenland.”
Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, previously said: “Greenland is part of the Danish kingdom. That is not going to change.
“We in the kingdom would really like to work together with the Americans on defence and security. We want that in Ukraine, we want that in Europe, and of course we also want that when it comes to the high north. But Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”
1 month ago07:48 Alice Scarsi
Welcome to our blogWelcome to our blog. We’ll bring you the latest on JD and Usha Vance’s visit to Greenland today.