JD Vance came, greeted the American military, and held a speech.
Then he and his wife Usha Vance left Greenland just over three hours after landing at Pituffik, previously known as Thule base.
During the highly publicized visit, he managed to repeat his criticism of Denmark several times in his speech to the military and the international press, claiming that Denmark has not spent enough money on Greenland.
Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job of keeping Greenland safe, he said.
We unfortunately know that this base (Pituffik), this environment, is less safe than it was 30-40 years ago.
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) says in a written comment to Danish media that Vance's speech was "unfair" but also that Denmark will strengthen its efforts in Greenland.
"We are ready - day and night - to cooperate with the Americans. A cooperation that must be based on international rules", she writes.
Would be better off in the USA
JD Vance's visit came after Donald Trump, since becoming president, has repeatedly expressed that the USA will take control of Greenland.
The Vice President said that the USA has been clear that the country respects the Greenlanders' self-determination.
But my message to them is that I believe you would be much better off under the USA's security umbrella than under Denmark's security umbrella.
Trump claimed just minutes before Vance's speech that the USA's interest in Greenland is about peace.
Greenland is about world peace. It's not about us. And if Denmark and the EU don't understand that, we'll have to explain it to them, the President said according to Danish Radio.
Turned on his heel
Vance said that the USA has no immediate plans to expand its military presence, but his visit sparked concern among politicians in the capital Nuuk.
I think this is a marathon and not a sprint, which we will have to get used to, said Member of Parliament Aaja Chemnitz to TT.
When TT asked Múte Bourup Egede - former head of government and until Friday's acting head of government - if he had been in contact with the Trump administration during the last time, he turned around and left without answering the question.
