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January 13th, 2025 | 8:47 PM ET

Why Greenland Matters: Natural Resources – and ‘Location, Location, Location’

A former top US commander explains the island’s geopolitical value – and the need for a “quiet conversation” about its future

EXPERT INTERVIEW
The Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland, on October 4, 2023. (Photo by Thomas Traasdahl / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images)
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Posted: January 9th, 2025

By The Cipher Brief

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — When The Cipher Brief looked at the global security landscape for 2025, Greenland didn’t rate a mention. That was probably true of new year’s forecasts made by many organizations, but in the past couple of weeks, President-elect Donald Trump has put the world‘s largest island squarely into the national security conversation. 

“For purposes of national security and freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump wrote in a late-December post. This week he spoke of a “deal” to take over Greenland, and then said he wouldn’t rule out the use of force to make it happen. While his son Donald Trump, Jr., paid a visit to Greenland Tuesday, the President-elect said that “Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation.” 

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