An upcoming top-level visit by U.S. officials to Greenland — without formal invitation — has drawn criticism from both Denmark and Greenland, as concerns grow over foreign pressure on the Arctic territory’s mineral resources.
Speaking on Monday 25 March 2025, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the announced visit constituted “unacceptable pressure” from the United States, which is seeking greater access to Greenland’s reserves of rare earth elements. The minerals are critical for use in clean energy, electronics, and defence technologies.
“Greenland is not for sale — nor is it for pressure,” Frederiksen said, according to Reuters.
Greenland’s own elected leadership expressed similar concerns. According to the island’s foreign minister, Vittus Qujaukitsoq, the U.S. visit is going to take place without appropriate coordination and was seen as a breach of protocol. He said the move disrespected Greenland’s autonomy and the responsibilities it holds under the Kingdom of Denmark.
The visit to the American military base Pituffik Space Base – known in Denmark as the Thule Base – will include U.S. Vice President JD Vance, his wife Usha Vance, White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
The unwelcome visit is seen as part of Washington’s broader effort to reduce its dependence on China for rare earths and to assert influence in the Arctic. China has shown sustained interest in Greenland’s mining sector, including past bids by Chinese companies to invest in rare earth extraction projects.
The issue links closely to developments in Southeast Asia, where countries such as Vietnam, Myanmar, and Indonesia are also being courted by the United States and China for access to rare earth deposits. In 2023, the U.S. signed a rare earth cooperation agreement with Vietnam, reflecting similar strategic competition.
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Denmark’s foreign minister on March 26 welcomed a US decision to alter the planned visit to Greenland that had sparked a diplomatic standoff between Copenhagen and the White House amid US President Donald Trump’s interest in taking over the island.
A planned visit by Ms Usha Vance, the wife of US Vice-President J.D. Vance, to a popular dog-sled race in Greenland was part of what Denmarks prime minister had called an “unacceptable pressure” on the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
The White House on March 25 announced that the delegation would instead be headed by Mr J.D. Vance himself, but that it would only visit the US Space Base at Pituffik in northern Greenland and not the dog-sled race.
“I think it’s very positive that the Americans cancelled their visit to the Greenlandic society. Instead, they will visit their own base, Pituffik, and we have nothing against that,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.