President Donald Trump has argued that the US needs to “acquire” “Greenland.” But it’s not the first time that US leaders have turned their eyes to a vast island like ice.
Greenland is located in the middle of conflicted waters between the US, Russia and Western Europe, where it can protect North Atlantic passages from Russian ships and submarines. It was an important military perspective during the Cold War, and President Harry Truman offered to buy Greenland from the Danes in 1946.
The island is also a point of travel for communication cables across the Atlantic. European officials claim that Russian “ghost ships” are destroying such cables by dropping anchors and dragging them across the seabed.
The greater management of the island not only provides the US with the fastest vessel route to Europe, but also provides an opportunity to strengthen early warning systems for ballistic missiles and place radars on the seabed to track the movement of Russian and Chinese ships.
We accuse the Greenlanders of treating them as “second class citizens” during their visit to the Arctic Circle.
From left: Former Homeland Security Advisor Julia Neshwatt. Second Lady Ushavance. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. Vice President JD Vance; Sen. Mike Lee, r-utah; Energy Secretary Chris Wright will pos for him as he tours the US military’s Pitafic Space Station in Greenland on Friday. (Jim Watson/Pool via Reuters)
The island lies on a favorable supply of important rare earth minerals such as cobalt, nickel, uranium and iron. It is an essential material for electric vehicles, medical devices, electronic devices, batteries and advanced defense systems.
The US was once the leading producer of rare earth minerals, but has been knocked out by China. China currently controls the global supply chain, which has access to 60% of global supply, but Greenland could become a “game changer.”
“The total resources of these rare earths can be greater than what China has,” she told Fox News Digital.
Vice President J.D. V. D. V. V. D. V. V. V. V. V. V. V. Second Lady Usha Vance, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited Greenland on Friday.
“Our message to Denmark is very simple. We’re not doing a good job from the people of Greenland,” the Vice President said of the trip.
“You weren’t investing in the people of Greenland, and you weren’t investing in this incredible, all beautiful land security architecture filled with incredible people.
Trump said before his Vance trip, “We need Greenland for international safety and security.”
Infographic with maps showing Greenland, the US and Denmark. (Guillermo rivas pachecovalentina breschiclara morineau/afp via Getty Images)
Greenland is estimated to have the world’s eighth largest rare earth sanctuary just behind the US, but its minerals have proven difficult to access. 80% of the island’s surface is covered with a thick sheet of ice. The island has many deficits. Strict environmental and social impact requirements mean the permitting process takes time.
The country’s economy is currently built on the basis of fisheries and welfare. Denmark offers approximately $700 million each year. That’s almost half of Greenland’s budget.
The US has hanging “billions” in Greenland’s mineral investments as part of its efforts to reduce its dependence on China, but China is already involved in mining projects.
“China is more concerned about access to the Arctic than their minerals,” Tskeman said.
Approximately 80% of Greenland is covered in ice, making access to rare earths difficult. (Reuters/Leonhard Foger/File Photo)
“China is focusing its mineral efforts on Africa, and Russia’s focus on the Arctic Circle is actually ahead,” she continued. “There is growing talks about NATO’s growing presence in the region to prevent Russian and Chinese ships from entering.”
There is oil and gas, but in 2021, Greenland passed a ban on exploring and extracting all future oil and gas.
As the ice caps continue to melt, the water around Greenland is becoming increasingly navigable. This means that ships traveling from Asia and Europe can sail through the polar regions and avoid heading south.
Just as Russia is renovating its own Arctic port, the US and Danish defenses on the island have become obsolete. Greenland once hosted dozens of US bases and former post bases, but today it only hosts one. When about 10,000 US troops return home, about 200 have now been deployed there.
“We need Greenland for international safety and security. We need that. We need to have it,” Trump said in an interview Wednesday.
Territories are heavily opposed to the idea of joining the US.
In response to Trump’s threat of taking Greenland, Denmark announced a $2 billion investment in defense on the island in January.
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Danish Defense Information Services believes Greenland “deems a priority for Russia and demonstrates its power through aggressive and threatening actions, and is at a higher risk of escalation in the Arctic than ever before.”
“We haven’t invested enough in the Arctic over the years,” Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Paulsen recently confirmed. “Now we’re planning a stronger presence.”
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