Greenland isn't a place most folks think about much. In the standard Braun perspective map of the earth, the attempt to render a 3-D globe onto a 2-D map makes Greenland (and Antarctica) look far larger than it is. In reality, most folks think of Greenland as a distant, icy land of little consequence.
But then, people thought that about Alaska once, too.
Greenland is distant and icy; it contains the only permanent ice sheet outside of Antarctica. But Greenland is more than that. It has valuable mineral resources, it falls under NATO's defensive envelope by treaty, and it occupies a commanding location in the North Atlantic. While that position is shared by Iceland, Greenland and Iceland together fill a similar role in the Atlantic Ocean as Alaska does in the Pacific — they are the crowns of the Atlantic.
President-elect Donald Trump, in announcing his appointment for Ambassador to Denmark, joked once again about the United States buying Greenland. Susie Moore covered that story earlier on Monday.
See Related: We Shall Call It 'MAGADONIA': Trump Names Ambassador to Denmark, Sets Sights on Acquisition of Greenland
Susie writes:
But it was Trump's note toward the end of his announcement regarding Howery that sent the Twittersphere (X-osphere?) into a tizzy: "For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."
One suspects Trump is having a bit of fun as he eagerly awaits his second term, between his talk of making Canada the 51st state, reclaiming the Panama Canal, and now, the reference to ownership and control of the 836,000 square mile Danish territory. But, of course, this isn't the first time Trump has made eyes at Greenland.
No, it's not the first time Donald Trump has talked about Greenland. But the presence of Greenland, where it is and what it is, is important to understand when contemplating this issue. There are three primary factors involved:
First, Greenland's location. Greenland and Iceland command the North Atlantic. The Great Circle shipping and air routes pass over or near both; my one experience of actually laying eyes on Greenland was from the cabin of a United Airlines 787 flying from Frankfurt to Chicago. There is a NATO air base in Iceland, and the United States operates a Space Force base in Greenland. Denmark, of which nation Greenland is an autonomous territory (Greenlanders are all Danish citizens), is a NATO member. So, NATO and the US would appear to already have a strong presence in this strategic area — and it is important to note that the Russian Navy is present in force in the Barents Sea, the NATO nations of the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and the others are in a much better position to reinforce Greenland and Iceland than Russia is to interfere. So, from a military standpoint, the United States is already bound by a treaty to protect Greenland.
Second, Greenland has a surprising amount of mineral resources, including oil and strategic rare-earth minerals, that are becoming more available as the ice sheet slowly recedes. This, alone, would seem to make American involvement desirable — but this can be accomplished without any change in the political situation if the right amount of jobs and American money were involved.
Third, Greenland's status. While President-elect Trump talks a good game about buying Greenland from Denmark, it's unlikely that Denmark would be persuaded to sell — or that the people of Greenland are in any way inclined to leave Denmark. Greenlanders are, as we noted, Danish citizens, but Greenland has its independence. Convincing them to become a territory of the United States might be a tougher sell than President-elect Trump thinks.
Greenland is and will remain a key strategic location in the North Atlantic. Who controls Greenland, controls those vital trade routes — but in the case of the Atlantic, it is NATO, not Denmark, that is providing the muscle to hold that key strategic location. And, for all intents and purposes, right now, the United States is NATO.
Some time ago, I wrote about the similar status Alaska has in the Pacific:
See Related: Alaska - The Crown of the Pacific
In that piece on the Pacific, I wrote:
While the Great Land may not be a great factor in elections, its location is of much greater importance. To put it bluntly: Alaska is the crown of the Pacific.
When one talks about energy, one must talk about Alaska.
When one talks about Pacific Ocean trade routes, one must talk about Alaska.
When one talks about military considerations, one must talk about Alaska.
When one talks about Russia and China, one must talk about Alaska.
The same applies to Greenland in the Atlantic. When one talks about energy, one must talk about Greenland. When one talks about Atlantic Ocean trade routes, one must talk about Greenland. When one talks about military considerations, one must talk about Greenland. And when one talks about Russia — yes, one must talk about Greenland.
So, while President-elect Trump talks about Greenland, he may be engaging in some distraction by claiming the United States must own and control that Arctic island. But that doesn't make the strategic importance of Greenland any less real.
