JD Vance visits Greenland to make the case for annexation: 'We can't just bury our head in the sand'

Vice President JD Vance made the case for annexation on a trip to Greenland along with his wife, Usha Vance, and a U.S. delegation.

The vice president told the residents of Greenland that they were being neglected by Denmark and would do far better if they joined the U.S. President Donald Trump has made it a goal of his second term to annex Greenland, which would increase the square mileage of the U.S. by more than a fifth.

'We're the only nation on earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security.'

Vance visited the U.S. military base at Pituffik to make his remarks in front of members of the military. He made the case that Russia and China both have plans for Greenland and that the country would be better off staking its future with the United States.

"Yes, the people of Greenland are going to have self-determination," said Vance. "We hope that they choose to partner with the United States, because we're the only nation on earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security, because their security is very much our security, as these brave Americans show.

He went on to say that Greenland's security in the face of foreign ambitions put global peace under threat.

"As they expand their ambitions, we can't just bury our head in the sand — or, in Greenland, bury our head in the snow — and pretend that the Chinese are not interested in this very large landmass. We know that they are," Vance said.

"They've taken steps to put Greenland in ridiculous debt traps to invest and exploit the resources here," he added. "And we know that they're sending a lot of military resources here. Yes, over the medium term, the United States will meet that challenge."

After bringing a message of gratitude from Trump, Vance also personally thanked the service members at the base.

"From the bottom of my heart, it is incredible to be a vice president who has served — to know the sacrifice that comes along with it and to see that there are still incredible young Americans willing to put on the uniform and serve this country," he added.

"You make America a better place, and you make it an honor to serve as your vice president," he concluded.

Democrats pounced on the trip to criticize the Trump administration.

"What the hell is JD Vance doing in Greenland? They don’t want him there. We don’t need him there," wrote Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell of California. "Why won’t he go to Greensboro or Green Bay to see how much Trump’s tariff tax is costing people?"

Others have noted that a large majority of Greenland residents, of which there are only about 56,000, are opposed to the U.S. annexation proposal. A group of residents in favor of annexation spoke to the New York Post, but many of them did so anonymously after receiving death threats.

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