Vance made his comment during a trip to the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, a visit viewed by Copenhagen and Nuuk as a provocation.
“Our message to Denmark is basic: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance told a press conference.
Trump argues that the United States needs the vast Arctic island for national and international security and has refused to rule out the use of force to secure it.
“We are not talking about peace for the United States. We are talking about world peace. We are talking about international security,” Trump claimed to reporters at the White House on Friday.
Asked about the potential use of force, Vance stressed that the US administration did not think it was “ever going to be necessary.”
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen hit back at Vance in a statement to Danish media.
“For many years, we have stood by the Americans in very difficult situations,” she said, referring to Danish combat deployments alongside American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The Vice President’s reference to Denmark is not accurate,” she said, expressing her readiness to “cooperate day and night with the Americans” on Arctic security.
Vance was accompanied by his wife, Usha; National Security Advisor Mike Waltz; Energy Secretary Chris Wright; Utah Senator Mike Lee; and former Homeland Security Advisor Julia Nesheiwat, who is Waltz’s wife.
A majority of Greenlanders oppose US annexation, according to a January poll.
Trump’s desire to take over the ice-covered territory, which is seeking independence from Denmark, has been categorically rejected by Greenlanders, their politicians and Danish officials.
While all of Greenland’s political parties favour independence, none of them support the idea of becoming part of the United States.
A new broad four-party coalition government was announced in Greenland just hours before the US delegation’s arrival, following elections earlier this month.
Incoming prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the territory needed unity at this time.
“It is critical that we put aside our disagreements and differences… because only in this way will we be able to cope with the heavy pressure we are exposed to from outside,” he said when he unveiled his government.
Nielsen said that by visiting Greenland when there was no government in office there, the US administration was “not showing respect to an ally”. (AFP)
