Politico.eu: Pentagon fires Greenland base commander after she criticized JD Vance visit

Actions to “subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated,” U.S. military warns.

BY ELENA GIORDANO

The U.S. military announced Thursday it had removed Col. Susannah Meyers, commander of its Pituffik base in Greenland, stating it would not tolerate any pushback against President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Meyers sent an email to base personnel on March 31 distancing herself from U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s visit three days prior, according to the independent news organization Military.com.

In her message, Meyers said she had spent the weekend reflecting on how Vance’s remarks might have affected those stationed at the base, amid a pressure campaign from the White House directed toward acquiring the massive Arctic island from Denmark.

“I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base,” Meyers wrote in the email.

“I commit that, for as long as I am lucky enough to lead this base, all of our flags will fly proudly — together,” the message added.

Late Thursday in the U.S., the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson Sean Parnell announced that Meyers had been removed from her post, explaining that “actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated.”

Parnell did not specify the reason for the dismissal in his statement, but included a link to the Military.com article.

Vance traveled to the Pituffik military base with a U.S. delegation on March 28, amid repeated threats from Trump to seize Greenland, a self-ruling Danish territory rich in critical minerals and situated in a key strategic Arctic location.

During the visit, Vance criticized Denmark’s management of Greenland, suggesting that the territory would be safer under U.S. protection due to perceived threats from China and Russia. He argued that Denmark had underinvested in Greenland’s security and infrastructure, and advocated for U.S. control over the territory.

Following the visit, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said: “We are open to criticisms, but let me be completely honest, we do not appreciate the tone in which it’s being delivered.”

Greenland’s new prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has also said Greenland is not for sale and has called Trump’s aggressive overtures “a threat to our political independence.”

 Financial Times: US fires Greenland base commander after JD Vance visit

The US has sacked the commander of its military base in Greenland over her alleged attempts to “subvert President Trump’s agenda” after hosting the American vice-president on the Arctic island.

Colonel Susannah Meyers was removed as commander of the Pituffik Space Base late on Thursday after reports that she had sent an email critical of vice-president JD Vance’s visit to the island last month. “Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote on X.

Parnell linked to a report by a military outlet that Meyers had sent an email to all personnel on the base days after Vance’s visit saying that she would keep the US, Danish and Greenlandic flags flying despite the vice-president’s sharp criticism of Copenhagen. “I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the US administration discussed by vice-president Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base,” the email sent on March 31 said, according to military.com.

Greenland has been thrust into the geopolitical spotlight after President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he intends to take over the Arctic island of 57,000 people from Denmark and has refused to rule out using force to do so.

The US has had a military presence on Greenland since the second world war but that has dwindled from a peak of about 15,000 troops and more than a dozen bases to about 150 personnel and just the one base at Pituffik.
Meyers’ removal from Space Operations Command was due to “loss of confidence in her ability to lead”, according to its communications department. “Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining non-partisan in the performance of their duties.” Colonel Shawn Lee had replaced Meyers, the statement added.

Democrats and legal experts have expressed concern about the number of US officials being removed from government office due to criticism of Trump and his administration.

Both Denmark and Greenland have said they are willing to work with the US to improve security on the island and in the Arctic. But Denmark, a Nato ally, has publicly criticised Vance’s visit and Trump’s rhetoric, saying that the future of the island is solely for Greenlanders to decide.

Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory in the kingdom of Denmark. A new coalition government was formed earlier this month following elections in which pro-independence parties gained traction. But the party leading the coalition, Demokraatit, seeks a slower path to independence, potentially dashing US hopes that a quick break from Denmark could bring Greenland closer to it. Greenland is keen to have US investment in its nascent mining and tourism industries, and many officials concede it is all but impossible to defend the island without America.