Washington, 28 March 2025 (dpa/MIA) - US Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, will travel to Greenland on Friday, in a move stirring diplomatic tensions.

The visit comes as US President Donald Trump continues to express interest in bringing the resource-rich Arctic island under US control, a move that has faced strong resistance from Greenlandic leaders.

The Vances are to visit the US Pituffik Space Base, on the north-west coast of Greenland, which provides missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance. They will also meet with American military personnel stationed on the island.

Usha Vance had initially planned to travel without her husband, attending a popular annual dog sled race and visiting the capital Nuuk, along with other cultural activities.

But Vice President Vance on Tuesday announced he would accompany her, saying he aims to assess the region’s security situation.

The trip was also scaled back to one day and now only features the base visit. The dog sled race visit was cancelled.

The travel plans raised concerns among the Greenlandic government, which emphasized that no invitation had been extended to a US delegation.

Greenland, a largely autonomous territory of Denmark, is the world’s largest island and strategically important due to its Arctic location, as well as its raw materials. In addition, important shipping routes run through the region - and more could be unlocked as the Arctic warms due to climate change.

"During World War Two, the United States established over a dozen military bases in Greenland to defend the North Atlantic from Nazi incursion. During the Cold War, the United States committed additional resources to Greenland to defend against Soviet missile attacks," a statement issued this week by Vance's office said.

"In the decades since, neglect and inaction from Danish leaders and past US administrations have presented our adversaries with the opportunity to advance their own priorities in Greenland and the Arctic. President Trump is rightly changing course."

Photo: EPA