JD Vance says Denmark has ‘not done a good job’ for the people of Greenland

It comes as Trump claimed the US 'needs' the island

Vance was speaking during a visit to the Arctic island, where he minimised recent threats by US President Donald Trump to take over the island by force.

Instead, he urged Greenlanders to sever ties with Denmark, which has owned the island for more than 300 years, saying it had not invested enough to protect the semi-autonomous territory.

In a poll in January, an overwhelming majority of Greenlanders opposed the idea of annexation and the prime minister said the US visit showed a 'lack of respect'.

Denmark's King Frederik also rejected the US plan.

"We live in an altered reality," the monarch wrote on social media on Friday. "There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact."

While Friday's visit was initially dubbed a 'cultural' tour by Vance's wife Usha, the trip spiralled with adjustments needing to be made after the visit attracted scrutiny and security concerns.

Multiple protests were planned across Greenland.

Vance and the second lady were in Greenland for just a few hours, visiting only the Pituffik Space Base, a missile defence facility in the remote north of the island, some 930 miles (1,500km) from the capital, Nuuk.

Vance used the opportunity to take aim at Denmark, alleging it had to "keep the people of Greenland safe from a lot of very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China, and other nations", without providing further details.

He called out the countries for taking interest in routes and minerals in the region, as the island of 57,000 people is believed to hold massive untapped mineral and oil reserves.

Vance looked to reassure the people of Greenland that the US would not use military force to take the island from Denmark. Instead, he urged Greenlanders to embrace "self-determination" and sever ties with Denmark, which has controlled the region since 1721. 

"We think we're going to be able to cut a deal, Donald Trump-style, to ensure the security of this territory," Vance said.

"We hope that they choose to partner with the United States, because we're the only nation on Earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security," he said, adding: "Their security is very much our security."

He then sent a message to Denmark saying: "You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have under-invested in the people of Greenland and you have under-invested in the security of this incredible, beautiful landmass."

Along with his wife, Vance was joined on trip by US national security adviser Mike Waltz and energy secretary Chris Wright.

Meanwhile, back at the White House, Trump insisted the US needed Greenland to guarantee 'peace of the entire world', adding that its waterways had 'Chinese and Russian ships all over the place'.

He said: "We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security.

"We have to have Greenland. It's not a question of: 'Do you think we can do without it?' We can't."

In a statement to the BBC, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen took issue with Vance's comments. 

"For many years we have stood side by side with the Americans in very difficult situations," she said. "Therefore, it is not an accurate way for the vice-president to refer to Denmark."