VICE President JD Vance blasted Denmark for not keeping Greenland safe from the looming threats from China and Russia.

Donald Trump’s number two arrived in Greenland with his wife Usha for a controversial visit as the US plots to seize the strategic island from Denmark.

The pair are visiting Pituffik, a remote ice-locked US Space Force base in remote northwestern Greenland.

Vance told Space Force guardians at the base that Greenland’s security is under threat from Russia and China and “we must wake up to that”.

And he blasted Denmark for failing to keep the strategic Arctic island – which he said was America’s first line of defence – safe in a blistering attack during a heated press conference.

The VP then added that America needs to lead in the Arctic region security and protect its interests.

But he failed to rule out military force to take over Greenland – and seemed to have downplayed the potential move, saying it would “not be necessary”.

Speaking to the reporters at the base, Vance said: “Why does Greenland matter? If a missile was fired by the enemy, it is the people here who will know about it first and will give us notice and tell us what is coming.

“We know Russia and China and other nations are taking an interest in the region. We’ve seen very strong evidence.

“So, we need to ensure that America is leading.

“What Denmark has failed to do is to secure the region as it was 30 or 40 years ago. It has failed to keep our troops and its own people safe.

“Our European allies have not kept up with the pace in military spending.”

Vance added: “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not been able to keep it up.

“People in Greenland have an incredible opportunity here. It is far better to come under the US security umbrella than the Danish security umbrella.”

Vance added that there are no immediate plans to expand the military presence in Greenland.

He added: “What we think is going to happen is that the Greenlanders are going to choose – through self-determination – to become independent of Denmark.

“And then we’re going to have conversations with the people of Greenland from there. We do not think military force is ever going to be necessary.”

He suggested that the White House plans to wait for the people of the territory to vote for self-determination before acting.

Vance received a frosty reception on the frozen northern island over the last few days, with locals saying they don’t want him there.

The VP and Second Lady Usha descended the steps from Air Force 2 wearing large camo-green jackets, waving to the cameras and those welcoming them.

Pituffik is found just 1,500km south of the North Pole and about the same distance north of the capital, Nuuk.

His visit comes after his boss Donald Trump has made repeated threats about taking over the island and said he will “go as far as we have to go”.

A senior White House official told the New York Post on Thursday: “Danish leaders have spent decades mistreating the Greenlandic people, treating them like second-class citizens.”

Meanwhile, Trump said that Europe needs to understand his interest in Greenland.

He said that Greenland is “very important for the peace of the world”.

Trump added: “I think the European Union understands it, and if they don’t – we’re going to have to explain it.”

On Thursday, Danish PM Mette Frederiksen shot back against any chance of the island joining America.

She said: “Greenland is part of the Danish kingdom. That is not going to change.”

Greenland’s political parties on Friday formed a broad four-party government “to face the heavy pressure” from the US.

All four of the parties are pro-independence from Denmark but disagree over the time frame and don’t believe the island should become part of America.

The new PM said: “The whole situation of coming to visit when there is no government in place, we insist, is not showing respect for an ally.”

Plans for the visit were drastically scaled-down after a diplomatic row erupted.

The initial plan had been for Vance’s wife, Usha, to visit a popular dog-sled race on the island.

But the Americans were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark.

Usha’s trip to the island was announced on Monday, with Vance’s sojourn announced a day later after the second lady received pushback.

Vance said: “There was so much excitement around Usha’s visit to Greenland this Friday that I decided that I didn’t want her to have all that fun by herself, and so I’m gonna join her.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the initial plans for the US visit “unacceptable”.

Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen later welcomed news of the scaled-down visit as a positive, de-escalating step.

Reports emerged of US officials going door-to-door in Nuuk as part of a charm offensive ahead of the visit.

Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its Pituffik base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen.

Trump vowed during his joint address to Congress earlier this month that the US would gain control of the world’s biggest island.

He said: “We need Greenland for national security and even international security, and we’re working with everybody involved to try and get it.”

Earlier this month, tensions between the US and Greenland deepened after Trump boasted about the potential for Washington to take control over the Arctic territory.

“I think that it will happen,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

But Greenland’s officials beg to differ.

“We – the leaders of all Parties in the Greenland Parliament – must underscore that Greenland will continue serving ITS people through diplomatic relations, in accordance with international law,” they said in a condemnatory statement.

The officials continued: “Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people, and we (as leaders) stand in unison.”

Pituffik was known as the Thule Air Base until 2023, when it was renamed to recognize Greenlandic cultural heritage and reflect its role in the relatively new US Space Force.

The base is locked in by ice for nine months of the year, but its airfield remains open all year round.

It is in constant darkness from November to February and constant daylight from May to August.