Vance tempers expectation on US taking over Greenland but says its still possible

Veep JD Vance on Sunday refrained from setting expectations too high about President Trump’s chances of usurping Greenland from Denmark, although he still called it “possible” and dismissed European opposition.Trump, 78, had set his sights on acquiring the icy island since his first administration and has rekindled those aspirations in recent weeks.Vance, 40, stressed Sunday that the territory is important for US security.“I think it’s possible,” Vance added to Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” when asked about whether the US will acquire Greenland.“It’s really important to our national security.

There are sea lanes there that the Chinese use, that the Russians use,” Vance said.“Frankly, Denmark, which controls Greenland, [is] not doing its job, and it’s not being a good ally.”Denmark has owned Greenland since the 18th century, though the territory, with a population of about 57,000, is autonomously governed.

The US has a facility in Greenland named Pituffik Space Base, also known as Thule Air Base.Trump and others believe that as the Arctic Ocean begins to melt over time, opening new ocean pathways, Greenland will become more valuable.“How are we going to solve that problem, solve our own national security?” Vance said.“If that means that we need to take more territorial interest in Greenland, that is what President Trump is going to do because he doesn’t care about what the Europeans scream at us.“He cares about putting the interests of America’s citizens first.”European leaders have roundly denounced Trump’s aspirations to acquire Greenland from Denmark, a NATO ally.But last month, Trump even refused to rule out the use of military force or other coercive means such as tariffs to acquire Greenland.Vance also took note of the burgeoning independence movement in Greenland, observing that many citizens there aren’t “actually happy with [the] Danish government.“They have got an incredibly bountiful country that ...