Usha Vance, wife of Vice President J.D. Vance, is expected to visit Greenland next week to attend a well-known dogsled event, the Avannaata Qimussersua race. The trip, described as private, is scheduled to begin midweek, with Vance set to attend the race in Sisimiut on March 29.
Greenlandic media reported that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz may also take part in the visit. Both are expected to pass through the capital city of Nuuk before continuing to other stops, possibly including the U.S. air base in northern Greenland.
The U.S. consulate in Nuuk has provided financial support to the race in recent years. While the visit is not labeled official, it comes during a politically delicate moment as Greenland prepares for local elections on April 1.
On 12. March, 2025 J.D. Vance says :
“If … we need to take more territorial interest in Greenland, that is what President Trump is going to do … He doesn't care about what the Europeans scream at us.
Now, J.D.Vance's wife is on her way Greenland to watch the annual dog sled… pic.twitter.com/WzI6LdE5DZ
— Orla Joelsen (@OJoelsen) March 22, 2025
Sisimiut’s mayor confirmed that he declined a meeting request from the U.S. group, citing the election campaign period. He told local reporters that talks could happen later, after voting concludes.
The timing of the visit has raised concerns among some Greenlandic leaders. Member of the Danish Parliament Aaja Chemnitz claimed the Trump administration was not respecting Greenland’s autonomy. She said the trip was an example of interference during a key moment in the island’s democratic process.
President Donald Trump recently said the U.S. should gain control of Greenland, calling it necessary for international security. While speaking with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said the Arctic’s strategic location and the presence of rival nations made it important for the U.S. to have influence there.
In January, Donald Trump Jr. and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk traveled to Greenland under similar private terms. Their visit also came with no formal diplomatic mission but was widely discussed across local and Danish media.
Last week, around 800 people demonstrated in Nuuk, protesting what they saw as unwanted American pressure and calling out Trump’s annexation rhetoric.
