Nations survive not on sentiment, but on foresight. Great powers endure because they recognize geopolitical realities early-before those realities harden into irreversible threats. The United States now faces such a moment. In the rapidly changing world of the 21st century, control of Greenland is no longer a theoretical advantage. It is an indispensable requirement of American national security.
For generations, the United States relied on Europe as its natural partner: culturally aligned, politically stable, and militarily cooperative. That relationship formed the backbone of NATO and provided the architecture for global order. But sober observers must now acknowledge a difficult truth. Europe is undergoing profound demographic, social, and political transformations that will inevitably alter its priorities and its relationship with America.
In such a world, the United States cannot outsource its Arctic security to a continent whose future cohesion and strategic reliability are increasingly uncertain. Greenland must be brought firmly within the American sphere-preferably through peaceful purchase or compact-before the strategic window closes.
Greenland sits at the very center of this emerging contest. It guards the air and sea approaches to North America. It hosts the vital Pituffik (Thule) Space Base, a linchpin of America’s missile-defense and early-warning system. It contains immense reserves of rare earth minerals essential for modern weapons and technology. Whoever ultimately controls Greenland controls the northern gate to the Western Hemisphere.
Russia has recognized this reality. Moscow has rebuilt Cold War-era bases, deployed advanced missile systems, and constructed a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers unmatched by any other nation. China, which calls itself a “near-Arctic state,” has invested heavily in polar infrastructure and research, clearly signaling long-term ambitions.
Yet today, Greenland remains a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark-a small European nation with limited military capability and diminishing strategic bandwidth. Expecting Denmark, or even the broader European Union, to defend Greenland against Russian or Chinese pressure is an increasingly unrealistic proposition. Therefore, the United States must assume direct responsibility.