JAKARTA - Greenland's leaders criticized the planned trip of an important US delegation this week to a Danish semi-autonomous region that President Donald Trump said should be annexed by the United States.
The delegation will visit US military bases and watch the dog glide race, to be led by Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance including White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Minister Chris Wright.
Trump has made the annexation of Greenland by the US as the main topic of conversation since his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., made a personal visit to the vast and mineral-rich island in January.
Greenland's prime minister, Mute Egede, said the delegation's visit, which took place from Thursday to Saturday, was a "provocation".
He said his interim government would not meet them.
"Until now, we can trust Americans, who are our allies and friends, and with whom we are happy to work closely with," Egede told local newspaper Sermitsiaq.
"However, that period is over," he said.
Greenland's government, Naalakkersuisut, is currently in a temporary phase after a parliamentary election on March 11 won by Democrats, a pro-business party that supports a slow approach to achieving independence from Denmark.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the Democratic leader, called for political unity and criticized the visit times during the coalition talks with the city elections to be held next week.
"We must not be forced to engage in a power game that we do not choose to be part of," Nielsen said on Monday, March 24, reported by Reuters.
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Brian Hughes, spokeswoman for the White House's National Security Council, said the visit was aimed at "Building partnerships that honor Greenland's own destiny and advancing economic cooperation".
"This is a visit to study Greenland, culture, history, and its people, as well as to attend the dog glide race sponsored by the United States, as simple as that," Hughes said.
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