President Donald Trump Adhere to the fact that the United States needs to “get” Greenland “in one way or another”. But this is not the first time our leaders are staring at the cold, huge island.
Located in the middle of disputed waters between the United States, Russia and Western Europe Greenland is located in Greenland At a time when the North Atlantic access can be protected from Russian ships and submarines. It was an important military advantage during the Cold War, and President Harry Truman was willing to buy Greenland from the Danes in 1946.
The island is also a transfer point for communication cables across the Atlantic Ocean. European officials claim that Russia’s “ghost ship” has been abandoning anchors and dragging anchors under the sea to destroy the cables.
Greater control over the island will not only provide the United States The shortest boat route To Europe, there is also an opportunity to strengthen its ballistic missile early warning system and place radars under the sea to track the movement of Russian and Chinese ships.
Starting from left: former homeland security adviser Julia Nesheiwat; second lady Usha Vance; national security adviser Mike Waltz; vice president of JD Vance; Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah); Chris Wright poses when he visited the U.S. military’s Pituffik space base on Friday. (Jim Watson/Reuters’ swimming pool)
The island relies on lucrative and rare earth minerals such as cobalt, nickel, uranium and iron, materials necessary for electric vehicles, medical equipment, electronics, batteries and advanced defense systems.
The United States was once the top producer of rare earth minerals, but was eliminated by China. According to national security lawyer Irina Tsukerman, China currently dominates the global supply chain, but Greenland may be a “game-changer.”
“Their total resources for these rare earths may be greater than those of China,” she told Fox News Digital.
Vice President JD Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Energy Minister Chris Wright and R-Utah Senator Mike Lee visited Greenland on Friday.
“The message we give Denmark is very simple: you have not received good work from the people of Greenland,” the vice president said during the trip.
“You invested in the people of Greenland and you invested in the safe building of this incredible, totally crazy big real estate, filled with incredible people. That has to change because it hasn’t changed, which is why President Trump’s policy in Greenland is like this.”
Trump says before Vance’s journey
Chart with charts showing Greenland, the United States and Denmark. (Guillermo Rivas Pachecovalentina breschiclara Morineau/AFP via Getty Images)
Greenland is estimated to have the eighth largest rare earth reserve in the world. Just behind the United States But it turns out that its minerals are hard to get in – 80% of the island’s surface is covered with thick ice. The island also has many traditional tape festivals: strict environmental and social impact requirements mean that the licensing process takes time.
The country’s economy is currently based on fishing and welfare: Denmark provides about $700 million a year, accounting for nearly half of Greenland’s budget.
The United States has hung “billions of dollars” to reduce its dependence on China, and although China has limited participation in mining projects there, it is mining minerals in Greenland to reduce its dependence.
“China is more concerned about the opportunity to enter the Arctic than those minerals,” Tutherman said.
About 80% of Greenland is covered with ice, making it difficult to access rare earth. (Reuters/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo)
“China focuses its mineral efforts in Africa, and it is indeed ahead of the United States in Africa. Russia is already She continued, focusing on the Arctic. Negotiations are growing about NATO’s increased presence in the region to prevent Russian and Chinese ships from entering. ”
There is also oil and gas, but in 2021, Greenland passed a ban on all future oil and gas exploration and extraction.
As the ice sheet continues to melt, the waters around Greenland become easier to navigate – meaning that ships travelling from Asia and Europe can sail polar routes, avoiding southward towards Panama and the Suez Canal.
Just as Russia is renovating its own Arctic ports, the defenses of the United States and Denmark on the island are outdated. Greenland used to have dozens of bases and outposts, but today there is only one: Pituffik Space Force Base. Once about 10,000 U.S. troops have arrived, about 200 have been deployed there now.
“We need Greenland to be able to do international security and security. We need it. We have to have it,” Trump said in an interview Wednesday.
The territory largely objected to the idea of joining the United States
In response to Trump’s threat to Greenland, Denmark announced a $2 billion investment in defense on the island in January.
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The Danish Defense Intelligence Service has determined that Greenland is “a priority for Russia, which will prove its power through aggressive and threatening behavior that will bring greater escalation risks than ever before.”
“We have invested enough in the Arctic for many years over the years,” Danish Defense Minister Lund Poulsen recently admitted. “Now, we are planning a stronger presence.”
