Vance Scales Back Greenland Visit Amid Diplomatic Tensions

Vice President JD Vance's planned visit to Greenland has been significantly scaled back to a brief stop at the U.S. Pituffik Space Base amid widespread backlash from Greenland and Denmark regarding U.S. territorial ambitions. Initially intended as a multi-day cultural trip for Vance and his family, the visit has been limited to a single day due to tensions exacerbated by former President Trump's comments asserting the need for U.S. control over Greenland for national security. Greenland's acting head of government criticized the original itinerary as a provocation, underscoring the island's desire for autonomy and the overwhelming opposition among residents to becoming part of the U.S. Recent polls indicate that a significant majority of Greenlanders favor independence from Denmark rather than U.S. annexation. Denmark's leadership has reaffirmed Greenlanders' rights to self-determination, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen condemning U.S. pressure on both Greenland and Denmark. The scaling back of the visit has been welcomed by Danish officials as a step towards de-escalation of the situation.