The Shadow
Greenland: “A Security Black Hole”
As promised before the election, President Donald Trump committed to prioritizing the best
interests of the United States by securing our homeland and combatting outside threats to our
national security.
We have already seen important progress just months into Trump’s second term.
After a visit to Panama by Secretary of State Marco Rubio over concerns that Communist China
exercised influence over the Panama Canal, Panama has initially accepted American overtures.
I discussed in a previous column that lawmakers from both parties expressed concern over
Chinese-linked ports operating in the Panama Canal and the threats that posed to the United
States.
Ports owned by the Hong Kong-based but Chinese-linked CK Hutchison Holdings is supposed to
be sold to the American company BlackRock.
Additionally, Panama’s president announced his country’s withdrawal from China’s Belt and
Road Initiative, a project meant to connect China to the rest of the world through the
development of physical infrastructure such as ports and railways.
We will need to be vigilant on this issue. Time will tell whether Panama’s assurances and early
actions are real or merely window dressing.
The Trump Administration is not just looking south of our border to protect U.S. national
security interests.
The Danish territory of Greenland is viewed as another national security concern.
American interest in Greenland, an island more than five times bigger than California and more
than three times bigger than Texas, dates back centuries.
Former Secretary of State William Seward, who helped facilitate the 1867 U.S. purchase of
Alaska, remarked that acquiring Greenland was “worthy of serious consideration.”
Greenland was later an American protectorate in World War II. As a result of an agreement,
America stationed forces in Greenland to deter the aggressionist aims of Nazi Germany (who
invaded and occupied Denmark).
In 1946, U.S. officials made a $100 million play to woo the Danes. Greenland, these officials
believed, was a military necessity because of its location on the shortest polar route between
Washington and Soviet Moscow.
While no deal materialized, American troop presence on the island lasted.
The only U.S. military base there today is the Pituffik Space Base. Pituffik is the Department of
Defense’s northernmost installation.
However, more U.S. Arctic bases may be needed to prevent an emerging threat.
Russian activity in the Arctic is concerning. Russia tests its nuclear deterrent and hypersonic
missiles in the Arctic.
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Russia’s Arctic Circle bases
outnumber North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) installations by roughly 33 percent.
The shortest path by air to North America for Russian missiles or bombers would be over the
North Pole.
An American Iron Dome defense system, a concept promoted by Trump, to defend us from such
missile attacks means that Greenland will play a critical role in our air defense capabilities.
Additionally, the waters between Greenland and the United Kingdom are the only way Russia’s
northern-based naval fleet can access the Atlantic Ocean.
If a global conflict involving Russia were to arise, unfettered access to the Atlantic and
movement around the Arctic will be critical to Russia’s war strategy.
Given Greenland’s location, additional U.S. military installations will strengthen surveillance of
Russian military activity and deter aggression in the Arctic.
Russian encroachment in the Arctic must be treated seriously. If not, we invite a national security
disaster to our doorstep.
For years, Greenland’s “security black hole” has frustrated observers and some security officials.
Denmark consistently failed, as acknowledged by their defense minister, to make adequate
improvements to its defense.
According to a 2021 High North News article, Denmark’s security of Greenland consisted of one
aircraft, four helicopters and four ships!
Due to Trump’s Greenland concerns, Denmark is changing its policy.
This year, Denmark announced $2.5 billion to boost military presence in the region and will raise
their defense spending to more than 3% of gross domestic product.
While this is a welcome first step, future actions are needed.
For this reason, Vice President JD Vance’s travel to Pituffik is the latest development to illustrate
our concerns about Greenland’s “security black hole.”
Given America’s status as the greatest defender of western civilization’s liberty and freedom, we
strongly urge our allies in Denmark and Europe to heed American concerns.
Rubio’s visit to Panama yielded initial dividends. Vance’s visit might bear even greater fruit.
In an era where the Arctic is of increasing strategic interest to our adversaries, I will continue to
monitor the Greenland situation and support the Administration in warding off threats to
American national security.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my
Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.
To reach my office via email, please visit my website at morgangriffith.house.gov.
