Carla Sands | June 17, 2025
(The Washington Times) — Greenland is an essential strategic partner in ensuring peace and security for Americans and Europeans. Located just 600 miles from the U.S. East Coast, Greenland’s geographical positioning, combined with its plethora of energy resources and critical minerals, makes it a geostrategic asset in our global defense architecture. America must protect the world from falling under the control of Russia, China and Iran, and Greenland is key to building an “America First” security infrastructure to protect our nation’s assets and people.
The world’s demand for critical minerals has expanded dramatically in recent years, requiring China and Russia to increase their global economic footprints to support their struggling economic growth. As the Trump administration looks to support Greenland, the Danish government has poisoned a warm, longtime relationship between the United States and Greenland. Meanwhile, China and Russia are quietly playing the long game, working in tandem to establish a de facto “Ice Route” along the Northern Sea Route.
China has methodically planned trade routes and developed icebreakers, ports and domestic and foreign infrastructure to facilitate Arctic maritime trade, which could supplant America’s leadership. In a time of great economic power competition, securing Greenland’s geostrategic location has become more urgent than ever.
Denmark’s resistance to allowing Greenland to pursue an independent path and deepen its cooperation with the United States is central to this dilemma. An independent partnership with the U.S. would provide Greenland with economic opportunity and the means to bolster the countries’ defense and security capabilities.
During the first Trump administration, I helped secure millions of dollars in funding to establish a cohesive legal framework for mining operations in Greenland. These economic partnerships strengthen and support Greenland’s economy, countering Russian and Chinese economic and military predation.
The U.S. is open to partnering with Greenland to mine rare earths and essential energy. We also possess the most technologically advanced extraction methods, ensuring maximum production while protecting Greenland’s pristine nature. Such a partnership would ensure that the U.S. and Greenland deliver energy dominance and economic stability for their people for decades to come. Demand for critical minerals is skyrocketing, and the U.S. can advance two strategic imperatives at once by decoupling its reliance on rare earth elements from China and bolstering Arctic security.
The U.S. must revive the strong diplomatic and economic ties with Greenland that began during the first Trump administration. In 2020, we achieved a historic milestone by reopening the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk, 67 years after its closure in 1953, and signed a trade and cooperation agreement with Greenland. The Biden administration neglected to build on these efforts, weakening vital U.S.-Greenland cooperation and economic ties.
With Mr. Trump back in office, we must reclaim that momentum to reaffirm America’s partnership with Greenland and reinforce our influence in the Arctic. America can provide Greenland with a clear, unambiguous path toward resource and tourism development that prioritizes environmental sustainability and economic growth. This means thoughtfully engaging with Greenlandic leaders to craft agreements promoting increased tourism, responsible mining, infrastructure development and technology transfer.
Greenland cannot afford a world dictated by climate edicts and sustainable development goals from bureaucrats at the United Nations. Even though Greenland has authority over its mining and tourism operations, far-left ideological policies have led it to ban all oil and gas exploration, and its domestic mining operations are minimal. The time for action is now, before America loses another opportunity to safeguard our security and economic freedom from our adversaries.
China has made its political, military, economic and social goals abundantly clear. Greenland plays a pivotal role in a much larger geopolitical struggle. This is not just about minerals or trade routes; it’s about safeguarding vital sea and air routes from our adversaries to provide America and Europe with a critical geostrategic advantage and a bulwark in the Arctic.
A shared future of energy dominance, bolstered national security and thriving economic development are waiting. America is ready to act. The question is, will Greenland answer the call?
Carla Sands serves as vice chair for energy and environment at the America First Policy Institute. She served as U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark from 2017 to 2021.
