Donald Trump has renewed curiosity in acquiring Greenland, citing its strategic geopolitical place, wealthy pure sources, and growing accessibility on account of local weather change.
Greenland, the world’s largest island and a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, lies between North America and Europe, making it very important for U.S. safety, notably towards potential threats from China and Russia.
Underneath a 1951 settlement, the island can also be residence to Pituffik Area Base, the northernmost U.S. navy outpost, outfitted with missile warning methods.
The U.S. Department of Defense’s 2024 Arctic Technique highlights the crucial significance of Alaska and Greenland in bolstering U.S. nationwide protection and sustaining Arctic stability.
Because the northern approaches to the homeland, the Arctic hosts important protection infrastructure, together with NORAD-managed aerospace warning and management methods very important for homeland safety and projecting navy energy to the Indo-Pacific.
Greenland’s strategic location between North America and Europe makes it indispensable inside NATO’s Arctic framework, serving as a northern flank for pressure projection and defending Atlantic sea lines of communication.
Moreover, local weather change has elevated Arctic navigability, elevating the financial and navy significance of chokepoints just like the Bering Strait and Barents Sea, additional underscoring Greenland’s position in U.S. protection technique.
Greenland’s strategic location alongside the shortest route between Europe and North America makes it very important to U.S. ballistic missile warning methods and the monitoring of Russian and Chinese navy exercise.
Lately, Arctic incursions close to Alaska, Canada, and Greenland have increased significantly. In July 2024, NORAD intercepted Russian Tu-95 and Chinese language H-6 bombers working within the Alaska Air Protection Identification Zone (ADIZ), marking the primary recorded occasion of Chinese language navy plane close to North America.
In September 2024, 4 Russian plane, including Tu-142s and Il-38s, had been tracked within the Alaska ADIZ, remaining in worldwide airspace. Later that month, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet carried out dangerously shut maneuvers close to a U.S. F-16, coming inside 50 ft.
These incidents underscore Greenland’s crucial position in U.S. protection. Securing Greenland as a part of the U.S. protection technique would enhance domain awareness, enhance interoperability with NATO allies, and strengthen deterrence capabilities, anchoring each Alaska and Greenland inside a complete Arctic safety framework.
China’s actions within the Arctic spotlight its strategic intent to extend affect, entry sources, and reshape regional governance, regardless of not being an Arctic nation.
China operates three icebreakers—Xue Lengthy, Xue Lengthy 2, and Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di—supporting dual civil-military research efforts, together with unmanned underwater car checks and polar-capable plane.
The Folks’s Liberation Military Navy (PLAN) has additionally demonstrated its intent to function within the area via joint workouts with Russia.
China’s 2018 Arctic Coverage frames the Arctic as a “global commons,” advocating for non-Arctic states to contribute to the area’s “shared future for mankind” whereas pursuing its personal pursuits.
Via its “Polar Silk Highway,” China has sought infrastructure and useful resource investments within the Arctic, together with within the territories of NATO Allies, aiming to shift governance in its favor.
These actions underscore the rising significance of securing U.S. pursuits within the Arctic, together with Greenland, to counter Chinese language affect and guarantee regional stability.
Russia’s Arctic technique underscores the area’s crucial position in its safety and financial priorities.
Designated as Russia’s second-most necessary area after its “close to overseas” in its 2023 Foreign Policy Concept, the Arctic is residence to in depth navy infrastructure, together with the Kola Peninsula, which homes Russia’s Northern Fleet and strategic nuclear forces, comparable to submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
Regardless of losses in Ukraine, Russia continues to spend money on Arctic navy capabilities, refurbishing Soviet-era installations and sustaining strategic, air, and maritime forces able to threatening the U.S. homeland and NATO Allies.
Russia’s Arctic-based capabilities pose a direct problem to U.S. energy projection to Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Its maritime infrastructure helps extreme claims alongside the Northern Sea Route (NSR), putting unlawful restrictions on international vessels and threatening enforcement by pressure. Moreover, destabilizing actions comparable to GPS jamming and unprofessional navy flights additional exacerbate tensions within the area.
The rising collaboration between Russia and China within the Arctic amplifies the risk. Remoted by its invasion of Ukraine, Russia more and more depends on China for financing Arctic vitality infrastructure and buying sources, with the Arctic accounting for 80% of Russia’s pure fuel manufacturing and almost 20% of its petroleum output.
Army cooperation between the 2 nations can also be growing, with joint naval workouts close to Alaska in 2022 and 2023, and agreements between their coast guards on maritime regulation enforcement.
This partnership raises considerations about expanded Chinese language presence within the Arctic, additional complicating U.S. and Allied efforts to keep up stability and safety within the area.
Other than protection, there’s an financial case for the acquisition of Greenland. The island possesses huge reserves of crucial minerals, together with lithium, graphite, and uncommon earth components important for renewable vitality applied sciences, electrical automobiles, wind generators, and navy tools.
With China dominating international uncommon earth manufacturing, Greenland affords the U.S. a strategic alternative to counter Beijing’s affect. Melting Arctic ice is opening new transport routes and will make these sources extra accessible.
Nevertheless, environmental restrictions and native opposition have slowed improvement, leaving Greenland’s financial system heavily reliant on fishing and $1 billion in annual Danish subsidies.
Greenland’s Inuit-led authorities has more and more pushed for independence, straining relations with Denmark, which has responded by growing navy spending on the island.
Whereas many Greenlanders assist independence, they continue to be divided over its financial implications. Some have proposed a “free affiliation” association with the U.S., much like agreements with Pacific nations just like the Marshall Islands, permitting Greenland to keep up sovereignty whereas receiving U.S. financial assist and protection ensures.
Nevertheless, each Denmark and Greenland’s leaders firmly reject the thought of a U.S. takeover, stressing that Greenland’s future have to be decided by its folks.
