Greenland: Siltanews – News Desk
One of U.S. President Donald Trump’s most frequent fixations during his first 100 days in office has been his desire to “get Greenland.” When rationalizing this radical impulse, the president and his aides have cited a need to “counterbalance” growing collaboration in the Arctic between the United States’ most consequential adversaries—Russia and China.
“You have Russian ships all over the place. You have Chinese ships all over the place. They are sailing all over Canada, they are sailing right next to Greenland. We’re not going to let that happen,” Trump said in an interview. He is right that expanding Beijing-Moscow cooperation in the High North challenges U.S. national security. But checking this emerging threat to the Western Hemisphere requires Washington to cooperate with its Arctic allies, not alienate or annex them. Policymakers and strategists should focus American attention and resources on the United States’ position in Alaska.
Trump’s interest in Greenland has been widely debated, with experts arguing that the island is not as strategically valuable as he suggests. Analysts point out that Greenland is far from key Arctic shipping routes and that its mineral resources are not as easily accessible as those in other regions.
Trump’s fixation on Greenland is also tied to broader US concerns about Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic. While Moscow and Beijing have increased their presence in Arctic waters, their primary focus is on their own territories, particularly Russia’s Northern Sea Route.