5 things to know about Greenland, why Trump wants to acquire it for the US
2. National security and economic reasons for the US taking control of Greenland
While the prospect of the U.S. taking control of Greenland has received renewed attention in Trump’s second term, the president expressed a desire to annex the Arctic territory during his first term. In a 2019 op-ed published in The New York Times, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., listed the national security and economic reasons for doing so.
In addition to highlighting how the U.S. has strategically placed troops in Greenland to deter Nazis during World War II and the Soviet threat shortly thereafter, Cotton touched upon the interest our present adversaries have shown in the Danish territory. “Intent on securing a foothold in the Arctic and North America, China attempted in 2016 to purchase an old American naval base in Greenland, a move the Danish government prevented,” he wrote.
“Two years later, China was back at it, attempting to build three airports on the island, which failed only after intense lobbying of the Danes by the Trump administration,” Cotton added. “Beijing understands not only Greenland’s geographic importance but also its economic potential.”
“Greenland is rich in a wide array of mineral deposits, including rare-earth minerals — resources critical to our high-tech and defense industries,” Cotton wrote. “China currently dominates the market in these minerals and has threatened to withhold them from us to gain leverage in trade negotiations.”
Cotten noted that other natural resources that Greenland has are “untold reserves of oil and natural gas.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
