A few hours before Vance's visit to Greenland, tensions over the control of the island are growing

As Vice President JD Vance prepares to visit a U.S. base on Greenlandic territory, Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, once again criticized Washington for continuing to express interest in the world's largest island while praising Greenlanders for not allowing themselves to be "intimidated" by Donald Trump.

“The attention is overwhelming and the pressure is great,” Frederiksen said on social media.“But it is in times like these that you show what you are made of. You have not been cowed. You have stood up for who you are — and you have shown what you stand for. That has my deepest respect.”

Frederiksen's remarks come on the eve of Vance's trip to the northwest coast of Greenland this Friday, where the vice president will visit a Space Force base to "check on the security situation there." With this trip, Vice President Vance will become the highest-ranking U.S. official to travel to the Arctic territory since President Donald Trump began signaling his intention for the U.S. to acquire the island, citing its geostrategic value.

Greenland, a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, is home to approximately 56,000 citizens, all of whom hold Danish nationality. The territory is currently engaged in coalition negotiations to define its political future following recent elections, in which a center-right pro-independence party emerged victorious.

Frederiksen, in addition to praising Greenlanders, also noted that President Donald Trump is not going to change his stance on the island, claiming that the U.S. leader is genuinely interested in the U.S. owning Greenland, despite objections from Denmark and local political leaders.

“They [the U.S.] know that Greenland is not for sale,” the Danish leader said. “They know that Greenland does not want to be part of the United States. This has been communicated to them unequivocally both directly and in public.”

Before JD Vance announced his trip, discussions surrounding control of the world's largest island became increasingly tense, with the Trump administration planning a surprise visit to Greenland. The visit was set to include the participation of cabinet members and a stop in the capital, Nuuk, where second lady Usha Vance was expected to attend a traditional dog sled race.

But the announcement of that plan generated significant unease in Greenland, with island officials rejecting what they saw as an attempt at pressure from Washington amid ongoing coalition negotiations.

Indeed, according to various reports, Greenlanders had planned protests in response to the U.S. delegation's visit.

Greenland's outgoing premier, Múte B. Egede, was among the most vocal critics of the planned trip, calling the U.S. stance toward Greenland "very aggressive" and "so serious that the level cannot be raised any further."

"The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us, and the message is clear," he said.