Usha Vance, Second Lady and US Vice President JD Vance’s wife, was set to visit Greenland on Friday, but since the time the news of her visit came out, people in Greenland have not been happy, as per multiple media reports. In fact, according to USA Today, US officials were actually having a hard time in finding locals who would greet her on her arrival.
The situation has now come to a point where the Greenland tourism business, the very much that was going to host the Second Lady, has now cancelled her visit. The decision comes amidst a fear of the situation turning into a “media spectacle”.
It is no secret that US President Donald Trump wants to gain control over Greenland, a want that has sparked anger from the people residing there and in Copenhagen. Ahead of Usha Vance‘s visit, the US Consulate had reached out to the Tupilak Travel in Nuuk. It was announced that Vance along with one of her children, would immerse themselves in the culture of Greenland and also attend the annual dogsled race.
The White House had also announced that JD Vance would join his wife on the trip later, but they would only visit the US Pituffik Space Base.
However, the plan changed and Tupilak Travel also issued a statement regarding the same. The Independent reported their statement which said that initially when the White House had called to ask if Usha Vance could visit, they had no qualms about it. But when they considered it further, they informed the Consulate that they did not wish to host her.
The reason for this, they said is that they “cannot accept the underlying agenda and do not want to be part of the media spectacle that will inevitably follow.”
The statement further added, “No thanks to nice visit.. Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”
The cancellation came despite Trump stressing that the visit is just a friendly one and “not a provocation”. But he again said that the US may come to control Greenland.