Vice President JD Vance told U.S. service members at a Greenland base that he only recently realized what they were doing there.

Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, went on a “national security” visit to the autonomous territory, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, on Friday. The vice president’s boss, President Donald Trump, has said the US needs Greenland for international safety and security and has suggested his willingness to take it by any means necessary.

The Vice President has now fully embraced Trump’s point of view, despite conceding that he understands Americans’ apprehension over the pursuit of the land.

“I think a lot of Americans wonder why does Greenland matter so much?” Vance said during his remarks at the Pituffik Space Base. “And I have learned a lot about that today myself. You can read about it in a book, but I saw it up close and personal."