President-elect Donald Trump has pressed his demands for Denmark to hand over Greenland, with his true motives likely relating to a deeper strategic vision than mere geopolitical jockeying.
Some observers have dismissed the move as mere bluster, but Greenland holds significant value for the United States. Trump said he had “been told” that the landmass was essential for American national security, a statement with more than a grain of truth.
The world’s largest island hosts the northernmost U.S. military base, Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base. The 150 Space Force guardians stationed there serve as an early warning base for an intercontinental ballistic missile launch. In the event of a Russian strike, nuclear missiles would fly over the Arctic, putting the base within their trajectory.
Greenland is also situated in the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom gap, a critical strategic maritime route. Renewed concern about Russian naval activity could have helped push Trump to eye a firmer hand on the island.
The strategic importance of the island has long been recognized by U.S. officials. The first serious effort to purchase the island occurred in 1867, when State Secretary William Seward (of Alaskan purchase fame) and Mississippi Sen. Robert Walker worked to put together a written plan to acquire the island, citing its fisheries, strategic location, and abundant national resources. The plan fell apart after it was laughed at by Congress.
Greenland has taken on even more importance since the 19th century, as advanced technology has unearthed even more valuable natural resources. The island contains rich deposits of oil and gas and rare earth minerals used in the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines, and military equipment, according to CNN.
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Klaus Dodds, professor of geopolitics at Royal Holloway, University of London, told the outlet that Trump could be eyeing the island in order to combat China, which has secured many of these rare earth minerals elsewhere.
“There is no question at all that Trump and his advisers are very concerned about the stranglehold that China appears to have,” Dodds said. “I think Greenland is really about keeping China out.”
