Indian American US Second Lady embroiled in Greenland controversy as she announces visit

New York: Second Lady of the US, Usha Vance has become embroiled in the Greenland controversy with the head of the Danish territory saying her proposed visit has caused a “big mess.”

Vice President JD Vance’s wife announced on Sunday that she will visit Greenland this week to watch its national dogsled race, Avannaata Qimussersu, and learn about the country’s “beautiful land, culture, and traditions.”

Although the purpose of the visit sounds innocuous—watching a race with 37 mushers or sled drivers and 444 dogs—it will take place during a visit by National Security Adviser Mike Walts and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, which will take place under the shadow of President Trump’s plan to take over the island.

The Indian American Second Lady presented herself as a cultural ambassador.

In a video on Instagram about the trip, she said that the US is “proud to support” the dogsled race and that she has “been reading all about it with my children”.

But she also said she hoped “that our relationship will only grow stronger in the coming years” — which sounded ominous to some Greenlanders.

“The wife of the United States vice president and the United States president’s highest security adviser[coming here] cannot be seen only as a private visit,” Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede said.

“We can already see now how big a mess it’s caused”, he said on Facebook.

Trump, who has said several times about the US taking over the mineral-rich strategically situated island, said categorically in his State of the Union Address, “One way or the other, we’re going to get it.”

In an interview with the local newspaper Sermitsiaq, Egede said Waltz’s “mere presence in Greenland will no doubt fuel American belief in Trump’s mission — and the pressure will increase”.

Demokraatit party (Democrats), which supports eventual independence from Denmark, won the recent election and will soon form the government.

Denmark acquired Greenland from Sweden in 1814 and the Arctic island is now an autonomous territory.

About 90 per cent of the population are Inuits related the native ethnic group in Canada.

The US maintains military bases on the strategic island.

IANS