When global political events are unfolding at such a dizzying pace, keeping up with everything has become a challenge. The visit of US vice-president JD Vance and his wife to Greenland already feels like a distant memory. Normally for us here, it would have been a major event. But it has already been overtaken by events.
First came a crucial election in Greenland, followed closely by a vote on April 1 to determine the next mayor of Nuuk. As the visit approached, so too did a sense of unease. Just a week before Vance’s visit, one of Greenland’s largest demonstrations took place outside the US consulate, signalling growing unrest. What did such a high-profile visit signify? Was it merely a diplomatic formality, or did it hint at deeper geopolitical shifts?
In Sisimiut, opposition to the visit materialised through a silent yet powerful demonstration: protesters planned to turn their backs on Vance and his wife, a clear statement that their presence was unwelcome.
Many people here questioned the timing and motives behind such a significant political visit. The scepticism wasn’t without reason. Greenland has long been of strategic interest to the US, and Vance’s arrival rekindled concerns about American influence in the region.
But then, something changed. Shops in Nuuk refused to open exclusively for the vice-president, and social media posts made it clear that some businesses had outright declined the request for a visit. Suddenly, plans for Vance’s visit shifted. Instead of engaging with the public, Vance’s delegation flew directly to Pituffik Space Base. The highly anticipated motorcade never materialised, and the massive Hercules transport planes that had arrived days before quietly loaded their vehicles back on board. It felt like a symbolic moment – Greenland 1, the US 0.
Even before the visit, discussions raged across social media and in everyday conversations. Some saw the visit as a routine diplomatic mission, while others were worried that there was an underlying agenda.
The debate wasn’t just about Vance himself, but about Greenland’s future: was the country being pushed toward closer ties with the US at the expense of its historical relationship with Denmark? Vance’s presence had inadvertently reopened the broader question of Greenlandic sovereignty and geopolitical alignment.
Some public officials maintained diplomatic decorum on the subject of Vance’s visit, but public sentiment told a different story. The reaction was almost entirely negative. The planned demonstration in Sisimiut was no longer necessary when it was announced that Vance would not be visiting the town after all. Across the country, the inevitable speculation began. What had been discussed behind closed doors? What were the long-term implications of this visit?
By the time Vance and his entourage departed, the visit was already being labelled a failure. Instead of strengthening the relationship, it had only intensified the divide, and Greenlanders found themselves at odds, not just with foreign powers but among themselves.
Now the discussions have shifted from questioning the purpose of the visit to questioning Greenland’s place in the world. Should the country strengthen its ties with the US, or maintain its historical connection to Denmark? If the visit revealed anything, it was that Greenlanders, even in silence, are a strong people, capable of standing firm and holding on to our pride.
What remains is a sense of unease: the visit had done little to reassure the public. If anything, it had exacerbated the very concerns it may have been intended to alleviate. In the aftermath, the lingering question is what the purpose of the visit really was. An act of simple diplomatic courtesy? Or did it signal a greater strategic interest in Greenland’s future?
We don’t know. But Greenlanders certainly know what they want, and a visit from the US will not change their convictions.
If vice-president Vance ever plans to return, he may want to come better prepared. Because this time, Greenland was watching. Next time, we’ll be ready.
Nina Jul Larsen is a bookstore owner and journalist based in Ilulissat, Greenland
