(NewsNation) — Greenland’s prime minister on Sunday criticized upcoming trips by top Trump administration officials to the island.
National security adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright will visit the Danish territory this week, the National Security Council confirmed.
Second lady Usha Vance will also visit Greenland on Thursday for a series of cultural stops and to attend the national dog sled race, the White House announced.
Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede criticized the trips as part of a pressure campaign. “What is the security adviser doing in Greenland? The only purpose is to show a demonstration of power over us,” he told national newspaper Sermitsiaq.
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The trips come amidst President Donald Trump’s ongoing push to acquire the semiautonomous territory.
“The U.S. has a vested security interest in the Arctic region, and it should not be a surprise the National Security Advisor and Secretary of Energy are visiting a U.S. Space Base to get first-hand briefings from our service members on the ground,” National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement.
“We also look forward to experiencing Greenland’s famous hospitality and are confident that this visit presents an opportunity to build on partnerships that respects Greenland’s self determination and advances economic cooperation,” the statement continued. “This is a visit to learn about Greenland, its culture, history, and people and to attend a dogsled race the United States is proud to sponsor, plain and simple.”
