The Blubber

Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly maintained that he wants the self-governing territory to become a U.S. possession, refusing to rule out the use of force to achieve this objective.

"We need Greenland for international safety and security. We need it. We have to have it," Trump told podcaster Vince Coglianese. "I hate to put it that way, but we're going to have to have it."

Greenland, which is pursuing independence from Denmark, holds vast untapped reserves of minerals and oil, although oil and uranium exploration are currently prohibited.

Strategically positioned between North America and Europe, Greenland has become an area of heightened interest for the U.S., China, and Russia as melting ice opens new Arctic sea routes.

The U.S. president's latest forceful remarks come as Vice President Vance is set to accompany his wife, Usha, on a visit to the U.S.-operated Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on Friday.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede had previously criticized an uninvited visit by a U.S. delegation to the Arctic island, which was initially intended to be far more extensive.

Egede described the original plans as "foreign interference," emphasizing that the outgoing government had not "issued any invitations for visits, whether private or official."

On Wednesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen welcomed the decision to restrict the visit to the U.S. space base.

"I see it as very positive that the Americans have canceled their broader visit within Greenlandic society. They will only visit their own base, Pituffik, and we have no objections to that," he told public broadcaster DR.

'Respect this process'
Greenlandic officials have repeatedly stated that the territory does not wish to be either Danish or American but remains "open for business" with all nations.

Opinion polls indicate that most Greenlanders favor independence from Denmark but oppose annexation by the U.S.

Following the March 11 elections, Greenland currently has only a transitional government, with parties still negotiating to form a new coalition.

Egede has urged "all countries to respect this process."

Marc Jacobsen, a senior lecturer at the Royal Danish Defense College, described the decision to scale back the U.S. visit as "a de-escalation," a term echoed by Foreign Minister Lokke.

"The fact that Greenlandic and Danish authorities are saying you're not welcome is significant," he told AFP.

"The risk of negative media coverage and backlash on social networks may have played an even bigger role," he added, noting that a protest was announced in Sisimiut following an earlier anti-U.S. demonstration in the capital, Nuuk, on March 15.