Greenland is suddenly in the spotlight. Donald Trump’s detractors say he is crazy, and maybe he is. But stupid he is not. There is method in Trump’s “madness”. As usual, he controls the media by making outrageous statements. He does this to highlight issues the MSM would usually ignore or bury. Just as New Zealand is the “Gateway To Antarctica”, so Greenland is the antipodean “Gateway to The Arctic’. MH
Why Greenland is of growing strategic significance
Thomas Newdick
The Warzone
Thu, 09 Jan 2025
Donald Trump seems more insistent than ever on controlling Greenland, but regardless of his controversial intentions, the island is of real strategic importance.
Donald Trump wouldn’t categorically rule out using the U.S. military to take control of Greenland, saying that America needs it — as well as the Panama Canal — for “economic security.” Amid intense kickback from Denmark — a NATO ally of which Greenland is an autonomous territory — and other countries, it’s worth looking in more detail at the significance of the island, which is one of the world’s largest, in economic, geostrategic, and, above all, military terms.
Trump’s interest in Greenland has made headlines in recent days, although his designs on the territory are far from new. Back in 2019, TWZ reported on President Trump’s claim that his administration was considering attempting to purchase Greenland from Denmark, the U.S. leader noting at the time that the idea was “strategically interesting.”
Since then, Trump’s territorial ambitions for Greenland (and elsewhere) have been ramped up several notches.
© Scott Olson/Getty ImagesU.S. President-elect Donald Trump • press conference • Mar-a-Lago Club • January 7, 2025 • Palm Beach, FloridaSpeaking at a press conference yesterday, the incoming U.S. president refused to rule out military or economic coercion to bring Greenland and the Panama Canal under U.S. control.
“I can’t assure you on either of those two,” Trump told reporters. “But I can say this, we need them for economic security.”
The same day, Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., touched down in Greenland for what was described as a tourist visit, during which he reportedly handed out hats bearing the slogan ‘Make Greenland Great Again.’
Talking about Greenland specifically, Trump threatened economic retaliation against Denmark, should the Scandinavian country — a NATO member — stand in the way of his territorial ambitions. Faced with such resistance, the United States “would tariff Denmark at a very high level,” Trump said.
Similar threats were leveled at Canada, too, where Trump said he would not rule out using “economic force” to turn America’s northern neighbor into a U.S. state.
In Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen yesterday ruled out the possibility of coming to a deal with the United States that would see Greenland handed over. Instead, the future of the territory would be decided by its people. “Greenland is not for sale,” Frederiksen said.
As to what the United States would be acquiring, should it somehow take control of Greenland, by whatever means, this territory is undoubtedly unique and it’s also at the center of an increasingly strategic race to expand control and military influence across the Arctic region.
With Russia actively building up its military footprint in the wider region, it’s worth recalling that the United States already operates one of its most strategic military outposts in Greenland. Indeed, the U.S. military has for the better part of a century had a major military presence in Greenland, with the permission of the Danish government.
© Google EarthSatellite view of Pituffik Space Force Base in GreenlandAs we’ve explored in the past, the current relationship dates back to the early years of the Cold War, driven by the standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union and the enduring military significance of Greenland.
A U.S. military presence in Greenland can be traced back to before the superpower standoff, however. During World War II, when Denmark was under Nazi German occupation, an agreement was made with the Danish Ambassador to the United States that would allow the U.S. military to defend Danish settlements in Greenland from German forces, if required. After the German defeat, Denmark made efforts to remove the U.S. military presence but gave up once it joined NATO as a founding member in 1949…READ MORE: Why Greenland Is Of Growing Strategic Significance
(Lengthy article but worth the read)
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