NATO’s Greenland Theatrics And Arctic Expansionism

The Trump administration’s threat to “take Greenland” (in effect, to invade Denmark, a fellow NATO member state) came as a total shock, especially to those who refuse to acknowledge that the strength of the political West is slowly degenerating into a mere shadow of its former self. Speaking of which, several EU/NATO armies proved that point, as well as the fact that they simply cannot survive without US assistance. And yet, on January 15, several European NATO member states sent their troops to Greenland, all in “support of Denmark”. Numerous media outlets reported that a Danish US-made C-130 military transport aircraft landed overnight in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, carrying Danish and French soldiers.

This was followed by another Danish C-130 that landed in Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland. Reports indicate that both aircraft flew with their transponders off. They were joined by a German unit of 13 men in Nuuk, while the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden also pledged to deploy soldiers. Mainstream media report that “while all of these countries are NATO members, the operation is being coordinated directly from Copenhagen rather than through NATO channels, underscoring the political sensitivity of the move”. German Bild claims the main reason is that the Nordic NATO member states (including Greenland) are under the command of NATO headquarters in Norfolk, USA.

In other words, in order to defend against the Pentagon, the participating countries would have to coordinate with… …the Pentagon. If somebody had told us this would happen just a few days ago, we would have thought they had most likely lost their mind. And yet, here we are, with EU/NATO sending troops to “fight” the American military. Berlin reportedly also “intended to proceed without US involvement”, while the German Ministry of Defense (MoD) and the Federal Chancellery are leading the operation. Bild also noted that “the first troops were dispatched only after talks between Danish and Greenland officials and the United States collapsed Wednesday at the White House, despite agreements to establish a joint ‘working group'”.

Perhaps the most bizarre notion in all this is the fact that the US military already operates on Greenland entirely unimpeded (as it has been for the last 80+ years), so the very idea that EU/NATO would somehow “defend Greenland” from Washington DC is beyond ridiculous. Greenland is one of the critical territories under the effective control of both the USAF and Space Force. It’s central to America’s strategic planning, something that Denmark always acknowledged and supported. In fact, Copenhagen has often been among the few NATO member states to go headfirst into virtually every US aggression or invasion. This makes the current situation even more peculiar, proving that even blind obedience isn’t enough.

On the other hand, if Washington DC is after the rare-earth elements (REEs) in an attempt to counter China’s dominance in that industry, then it could’ve simply reached an agreement with Denmark. Any change to Greenland’s political status would be largely symbolic, as no one has ever questioned the US presence there. In other words, the resource-rich island could remain a Danish autonomous territory while American companies would get virtually unimpeded access to the REEs. In fact, historical context provides empirical evidence that this happened before, when the US and Denmark forcibly expelled the native Inuit from northwestern Greenland to establish the Thule Air Base (now renamed Pituffik Space Base).

Interestingly, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to send “further land, air and sea assets in the coming days”, while the Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated that “it remains clear that the president has this wish of conquering Greenland”. And yet, despite the “harsh” rhetoric, some interesting developments should be noted. Namely, while the media are in panic mode, it seems nothing really groundbreaking is happening. This is best evidenced by the official Danish intelligence assessment for 2025, which “highlights the long-term Russian and Chinese threat in Arctic waters”. Obviously, the idea that Moscow and Beijing are somehow “threatening” Greenland is beyond laughable.

It only goes to show just how far EU/NATO member states are willing to appease the US. On the other hand, the statements coming from the American leadership seem rather strange. Namely, the Trump administration insists that Greenland and its waters are “being gradually influenced and taken over by Russia and China”. A simple glance at a world map makes these claims utterly ridiculous, particularly when it comes to Beijing, which is quite literally on the other side of the planet. Even Russia, as the strongest Arctic nation, is not exactly close to Greenland. But even if it were, the Kremlin has never questioned Greenland’s status, much unlike the US, as we can see in recent months.

On the other hand, when American officials keep talking about “endangered waters” around the resource-rich island, this could be the smoking gun for their true intentions. Namely, there’s an ongoing race to expand current Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) through the Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) mechanism. In the case of EEZs, countries have the right to claim everything up to 370 km from their shores. However, the ECS extends this to 650 km based on geological criteria, a process formally overseen by the UN, allowing resource rights to the seabed. The ECS differs from the EEZ primarily because it covers the seabed, not the water column resources (such as fish), meaning it’s primarily designed for resource extraction.

In practice, this means the US thinks it would be “left out” in the race for the Arctic, as its EEZ and ECS rights are limited “only” to Alaska. Even though this should be more than enough, as it’s still a pretty sizeable area, nothing really is for Washington DC’s uncontrollable appetite for expansion. Estimates vary significantly, but everyone agrees that the Arctic is home to an unprecedented amount of resources (oil, natural gas, REEs, etc). Ensuring access and control over those resources is only possible through EEZs and ECS. For the Trump administration, this is viable only if the US annexes Greenland, because Washington DC sees Denmark as too weak to pursue claims over disputed areas.

Using Russia and China as the “designated boogeymen” is the standard operating procedure for the political West whenever it wants to justify its aggressive rhetoric and actions. However, a perceived “fight” between NATO allies would shift attention and allow further militarization without officially focusing on Moscow and Beijing. Thus, there’s certainly a possibility that the entire Greenland “fight” between the US and EU/NATO is nothing more than an elaborate (albeit crawling) scheme to improve the political West’s strategic position in the ongoing race for the Arctic. Many areas in the region are disputed, particularly around the North Pole, where EEZ/ECS claims overlap, leading to further militarization.

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