Mike Baker

strategic interests.

Greenland occupies a critical position in the Arctic, sitting astride the shortest flight paths between North America and Europe.

That geography makes it a key vantage point for monitoring potential missile, bomber, and even hypersonic threats originating from, oh, let's say, Russia.

It's not theoretical.

Those routes do matter.

The U.S.

already operates Bidufik Space Base.

That's what it's called, Bidufik.

It's formerly known as Thule Air Base, which was a lot easier to say.

which hosts advanced early warning radar systems essential for detecting ballistic missile launches and tracking activity in space over the Arctic.

That facility is a quiet but vital piece of America's homeland defense architecture.

Greenland also plays an increasing role in the protection of emerging Arctic sea lanes.

As ice recedes, new shipping routes are opening that could dramatically shorten transit between Asia and Europe and North America.

Those same routes could also be exploited by adversarial navies, making monitoring and access even more important.

And finally, from a broader alliance perspective, Greenland strengthens NATO's northern flank, complementing U.S.

and allied forces in places like Iceland, Norway, and Canada, at a time when Russia continues expanding its Arctic military footprint.

But here's where things get more complicated.

The president has begun to undercut that national security case or argument by making the issue personal.

According to reporting in a text message sent on January 18th to Norway's prime minister, Jonas Garsture,

President Trump wrote, "...considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped eight wars plus, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America."