President Donald Trump continues pressing his demands for Denmark to hand over Greenland, amplifying his rhetoric after the U.S. military stormed Venezuela and captured its leader.
Trump has said acquiring Greenland is essential for national security purposes, given the island’s strategic location in the Arctic Ocean and rising foreign activity in nearby waters. Russia and China have ships operating near Greenland.
The White House suggested military force is on the table for acquiring Greenland. Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed that possibility, telling lawmakers that a purchase is more likely than an invasion akin to the recent operation in Venezuela.
Rubio said he would fulfill Denmark’s request to meet for a discussion about the future of Greenland next week.
Unlike the secretary, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller has fueled speculation that the United States may invade Greenland. But on Tuesday, he said military action wouldn’t be necessary because Europe wouldn’t fight the U.S. for the Danish territory.
“Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland,” Miller told CNN.
European members of NATO signaled opposition to Miller’s remarks, saying “Greenland belongs to its people.” They also maintained they’re keeping the Arctic region safe from foreign adversaries – the supposed reason Trump wants Greenland in the first place.
Amid his increasing rhetoric on Greenland, Trump reiterated U.S. commitment to the NATO alliance on Wednesday. Denmark warned NATO would end if the U.S. forcefully took over Greenland.
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 flying over the Arctic would put 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.
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.”
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RENEWS PUSH FOR GREENLAND EMBOLDENED BY MADURO CAPTURE
Greenland’s mineral resources, particularly gallium and silicon, are also driving American interest in the island on the artificial intelligence front.
Sitting between North America and Europe, Greenland would be a prime spot for developing AI data centers and servicing global data traffic. The Arctic island’s predominantly frigid climate would also help offset the large amount of heat generated by AI infrastructure.
