Vice President-elect J.D. Vance emphasized the strategic importance of Greenland to the United States and pointed out the presence of U.S. military personnel in the autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. His comments came during an interview on Fox News Sunday with host Shannon Bream.
During the interview, Bream raised the issue of former President Donald Trump’s controversial stance on Greenland, particularly his reluctance to rule out the use of military force to gain control of the territory.
“What’s the deal with Greenland and the Panama Canal?” Bream asked. “Are we using or considering the use of military force in any of those situations?”
Vance dismissed the idea of military intervention. “No, look, we don’t have to use military force, Shannon,” he explained. “The thing that people always ignore is we already have troops in Greenland.”
Highlighting Greenland’s strategic value, Vance remarked, “Greenland is really important for America strategically. It has a lot of great natural resources.” He further revealed that Donald Trump Jr. had recently visited the territory and had meaningful conversations with local officials.
“And you know what they told him?” Vance said. “They want to be empowered to develop, the people of Greenland want to be empowered to develop the resources there.”
Vance also critiqued the Danish government’s approach to Greenland, particularly concerning security issues. “We also need to make sure that Greenland is properly cared for from an American security perspective,” he stated. “The Danish government has not done a good enough job of securing Greenland.”
In his comments, the vice president-elect positioned the United States as a potential leader in fostering Greenland’s development while safeguarding its security. “I think there actually is a real opportunity here for us to take leadership, to protect America’s security, to ensure that those incredible natural resources are developed,” Vance argued.
He concluded by praising Donald Trump’s deal-making abilities, hinting at potential negotiations involving Greenland. “That’s what Donald Trump is good at. He’s good at making deals, and I think there’s a deal to be made in Greenland.”
The remarks have stirred interest and debate over America’s strategic priorities in the Arctic region, especially concerning resource development and geopolitical security.