米副大統領もグリーンランド訪問へ　トランプ政権の圧力強化

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米国のＪ・Ｄ・バンス副大統領は、２８日に妻のウシャ氏と共にデンマーク自治領グリーンランドを訪問すると述べ、ドナルド・トランプ大統領が買収を望む同自治領への圧力を強めた。（写真は米国のＪ・Ｄ・バンス副大統領と妻のウシャ氏。米ミシガン州ベイシティで）
　外交政策でトランプ氏の「攻撃犬」となっているバンス氏は、現地に駐留する米宇宙軍を視察するだけでなく、グリーンランドの「安全保障状況を確認する」と述べた。
　バンス氏の発表の数時間前には、デンマークのメッテ・フレデリクセン首相が米国のセカンドレディーの訪問がグリーンランドとデンマークの両方に「容認できない圧力」をかけると批判した。
　バンス氏は２５日に動画で、「ウシャが２８日にグリーンランドを訪問するというニュースがあまりにも盛り上がっており、彼女一人に楽しませたくないと思い、一緒に行くことにした」と述べた。
　ホワイトハウスは後に、ウシャ氏の犬ぞりレース視察を含む、以前に発表されたスケジュールがキャンセルされたと発表。グリーンランド北西部のピトゥフィク宇宙基地で夫に合流する予定だと述べた。
　トランプ氏は１月に政権に復帰して以来、米国が国家安全保障上の理由からグリーンランドを掌握することを望んでいると主張しており、武力行使の可能性を排除していない。
　バンス氏は動画で、「米国、カナダ、そしてもちろんグリーンランドの人々を脅かすために」他国がグリーンランドを利用しようとしていると述べ、「トランプ大統領に代わって、グリーンランドの人々の安全を再び強化したいと考えている」と付け加えた。
　グリーンランドのムテ・エーエデ首相によると、マイク・ウォルツ大統領補佐官（国家安全保障担当）も今週グリーンランドを訪問する。米国メディアはエネルギー長官のクリス・ライト氏も訪問予定だと報じている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2025/03/26-16:52）

Vice President JD Vance will visit a US military base in Greenland on Friday, adding to pressure on the autonomous Danish territory that Donald Trump wants to take over.
Vance, who has become Trump's attack dog on foreign policy matters, will travel with his wife Usha to Pituffik Space Base to receive a briefing on Arctic security issues and meet with US servicemembers, his office said Tuesday in a statement.
The announcement came just hours after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticized the US second lady's planned visit to Greenland -- prior to the vice president stating he would accompany his wife -- as putting unacceptable pressure on both the territory and Denmark.
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 going to join her, Vance said in a video Tuesday.
Since returning to power in January, Trump has insisted he wants the United States to take over Greenland for national security purposes and has refused to rule out the use of force.
In his video announcement, Vance said other countries sought to use the territory to threaten the United States, to threaten Canada, and, of course, to threaten the people of Greenland.
Trump has also recently talked about annexing Canada, saying it should become the 51st state of the United States.
Speaking for President Trump, we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland, added Vance.
Both US and Danish leaders had ignored Greenland for far too long, he added. We think we can take things in a different direction.
According to Greenland's outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz will also visit Greenland this week, while US media have reported that Energy Secretary Chris Wright will travel there as well.
The announcement of Usha Vance's trip on Monday angered Danish and Greenlandic politicians.
You can't organize a private visit with official representatives of another country, Frederiksen told reporters.
The visit comes at a time of political flux in Greenland, where parties are still negotiating to form a new coalition government following a March 11 election.
A self-governing Danish territory which is seeking to emancipate itself from Copenhagen, Greenland holds massive untapped mineral and oil reserves, although oil and uranium exploration are banned.
It is also strategically located between North America and Europe at a time of rising US, Chinese and Russian interest in the Arctic, where sea lanes have opened up due to climate change.