What is the Strategic Significance of Greenland to the Trump Administration, and is its Rhetoric Justified?
Diego Estevez
Staff Writer
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has made his desires very clear regarding the U.S. taking control of the Island of Greenland, a territory currently under the control of Denmark. President Trump’s interest in the island stems from a belief that, due to an increase in Chinese and Russian presence in Greenland and the Arctic regions as a whole, the security of the U.S. is in jeopardy. ABC News highlights this exact notion, stating, “We have to have Greenland. It’s not a question of: Do you think we can do without it? We can’t.” The president said this in the Oval Office, “If you look at Greenland right now, if you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place, and we’re not going to be able to do that.” With such a hardline position on the seizure of Greenland, the Trump administration has not ruled out the possibility of taking the territory by force. However, any action to take the island through forceful or peaceful means would likely backfire on the administration and the country as a whole.
When it comes to national security objectives, more could be achieved in the region through cooperation with Denmark and Greenland, rather than by attempting to bring the island into the U.S. fold and placing the responsibility of its defense entirely on the shoulders of an already overextended nation. Furthermore, such an action would inevitably provoke the Chinese government to take more aggressive and expansionist actions in Greenland and the Arctic as a whole, a region that in recent decades has seen the ever-growing presence of the CCP. It would also damage already strained relations with Europe and cause the ongoing militarization of the Arctic to skyrocket.
Both the President and Vice President JD Vance have stated that Denmark has not done enough when it comes to ensuring the security of Greenland, especially given the growing influence of Russia and China in the area. According to The Belfer Center, House Republicans are rallying around this new initiative. Tensions have escalated further after the Vice President reiterated the sentiment that Denmark has failed to protect the island. Further tensions have emerged during Vance’s visit to U.S. troops at Pituffik Space Base in March. According to The Associated Press, the Vice President’s remarks angered both Danes and Greenlanders. Both Greenland and Denmark have voiced their disapproval.
Apart from the legal and moral issues surrounding the Trump administration’s plan to control Greenland, there is also the question that started this whole discussion: Is Greenland critical to U.S. national security? The short answer is yes, for three main factors that are outlined by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The first of these is Greenland’s defensive importance against future attacks on the U.S. According to BBC News, Professor Marc Jacobsen from the Royal Danish Defense College stated, “If Russia were to send missiles to the U.S., the shortest route for nuclear weapons would be via the North Pole and Greenland.” Such an important avenue of possible attack requires the full attention of the U.S. However, Denmark and the U.S. have shared decades-long defense agreements that already allow for a strong American presence on the island, particularly through the Pituffik Space Base, which is key to protecting not only Greenland but also the mainland of the U.S. from potential Russian missile attacks.
Second, mineral wealth on the island has many countries scrambling for permission to begin a large-scale mining operation, as rare earth minerals and billions of barrels of oil are estimated to be under Greenland’s crust. These minerals are important to the U.S. and its allies, as they would support greater self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on economic adversaries such as China. However, Denmark and Greenland have already been working closely with U.S. officials on the subject to allow the United States to open up mining operations, and although China did try to facilitate their own mining on the island in 2010, those efforts have either stalled or failed altogether since 2018, CSIS reports.
Finally, growing concerns over an increasing Russian and Chinese presence on the island through the reopening of Cold War-era installations and the construction of new airfields and radar towers have caught the attention of the U.S. government. However, joint diplomatic planning and execution between Denmark, the U.S., and Greenland have so far impeded Russian and Chinese interests in the region from materializing.
Regardless of what the Trump administration attempts now, the threats have been levied. This administration’s aggressive take on diplomacy has fractured U.S.-European relations. For the future of the Arctic, the United States, and Europe, the next steps taken by the 47th President of the United States should be taken with caution.
Image courtesy of Getty Images.
