US Vice President JD Vance slammed Denmark during a visit to Greenland, saying it has not done a good job in keeping the semi-autonomous Danish territory and its people safe from incursions by China and Russia.
Mr Vance said the United States does not have immediate plans to expand US military presence on the ground in Greenland but will invest in resources including additional naval ships.
"Denmark has not kept pace and devoted the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view, to keep the people of Greenland safe from a lot of very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China and other nations," Mr Vance said.
The US vice president gave no details of the alleged incursions.
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Mr Vance delivered remarks during his visit to the US military base at Pituffik in the north of the Arctic island, which came just hours after a new broad government coalition that aims to keep ties with Denmark for now, was presented in the capital, Nuuk.
The US vice president greeted members of the US armed forces shortly after his arrival, thanking them for their service on the remote base located 1,200 km north of the Arctic Circle.
The outside temperature at Pituffik was -19 C.
As Mr Vance's visit was under way, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that the United States needs Greenland to ensure "peace in the entire world".
"We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security. We have to have Greenland. It's not a question of, 'Do you think we can do without it?' We can't," Mr Trump said.
Mr Trump said Greenland's waterways have "Chinese and Russian ships all over the place" and the United States will not rely on Denmark or anybody else to handle the situation.
Denmark and the European Union understand why Greenland is important for peace around the world "and if they don't, we're going to have to explain it to them," Mr Trump added.
Greenland's new prime minister said the US visit signalled a "lack of respect" and called for unity in the face of "pressure from outside".
Denmark's king issued a statement of support on social media. "We live in an altered reality. There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact," King Frederik said.
The US delegation also includes Mr Vance's wife Usha, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
The initial plan for the trip had been for Vance's wife to visit a dog-sled race on the island together with Mr Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark.
Public protests and outrage from authorities in both Greenland and Denmark prompted the US delegation to only fly to the military base and not meet the public.
Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen.
Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.
The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment.
Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.
A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.
New government
Greenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen urged political unity.
"At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Mr Nielsen said at a press conference.
His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a 11 March election.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram:
"I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."
'Not for sale'
Some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Mr Vance's visit.
"I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.
Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States.
Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.
Yesterday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
