US Vice President JD Vance, Second Lady to visit Greenland’s Pituffik Space Base for Arctic security briefing

WASHINGTON: US Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance will be visiting the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on Friday to receive a briefing on Arctic security issues and engage with US service members, as per a release from the Office of the US Vice President on Tuesday (local time).

According to the release, the space base, which is operated by the US Space Force’s 821st Space Base Group, is the northernmost installation of the US Department of Defence.

The base plays a critical role in missile warning, missile defence, and space surveillance missions. Vance also took to X, stating that he is “looking forward to visiting Greenland on Friday.”

In a video message in the same post, Vance said, “I’m going to visit some of our guardians in the Space Force on the northwest coast of Greenland and also check out what is going on with the security there in Greenland.”

Highlighting the significance of the visit, the statement further noted, “The strategic partnership between the United States and Greenland has long played a vital role in our national and economic security.”

The statement also traced the historical context of the Second World War, noting that the US had established dozens of military bases there to defend the North Atlantic from Nazis, with additional resources added to counter the then Soviet Union during the Cold War.

“During World War Two, the United States established over a dozen military bases in Greenland to defend the North Atlantic from Nazi incursion. During the Cold War, additional resources were committed to counter Soviet missile threats,” the statement added.

The statement criticised past neglect, saying, “In the decades since, inaction from Danish leaders and previous US administrations has allowed adversaries to advance their priorities in Greenland and the Arctic,” while affirming, “President Trump is rightly changing course.”

The visit replaces Second Lady Usha Vance’s earlier planned trip to the Avannaata Qimussersu dogsled race in Sisimiut, underscoring a shift in focus to national security priorities at the Arctic outpost.