Why Greenland Matters to the United States, and Why Some People Are Sceptical

8 January 2026

Paul Francis

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Greenland has become an increasingly prominent part of global geopolitical discussion, particularly in relation to the United States. On the surface, the interest can appear puzzling. Greenland has a small population, harsh conditions, and limited infrastructure. Yet for Washington, it represents one of the most strategically significant territories in the world.

Snow-covered mountains and rocky peaks rise above a deep blue sea, under a clear sky, creating a serene and majestic landscape.

At the same time, recent events elsewhere have led many observers to question whether security alone explains American interest in regions rich in natural resources. Greenland now sits at the intersection of strategic necessity and public scepticism.

Greenland’s strategic importance to US security

The primary and most consistently stated reason for US interest in Greenland is security.

Greenland occupies a crucial geographic position between North America and Europe. It sits along the shortest route for ballistic missiles travelling between Russia and the United States. This makes it essential for early warning systems and missile defence.

The US has maintained a military presence in Greenland since the Second World War. Today, Pituffik Space Base plays a key role in monitoring missile launches, tracking satellites, and supporting NATO defence architecture. These systems are designed to protect not only the United States but also its allies.

As Arctic ice continues to melt, the region is becoming more accessible to military and commercial activity. Russia has expanded its Arctic bases, and China has declared itself a near-Arctic state. From Washington’s perspective, maintaining influence in Greenland helps prevent rivals from gaining a foothold in a region that directly affects North Atlantic security.

The Arctic, climate change, and future competition

Climate change has transformed Greenland’s relevance. What was once largely inaccessible is now opening up.

New shipping routes could shorten trade paths between Asia, Europe, and North America. Scientific research, undersea cables, and surveillance infrastructure are all becoming more viable. Greenland’s location places it at the centre of these emerging routes.

For the United States, this makes Greenland less of a remote territory and more of a forward position in an increasingly contested region.

Red Mobil barrel secured with ropes on wood structure, against a cloudy sky. Blue pipes and rusty metal bar in background.

Oil and resource speculation as a secondary factor

While security dominates official policy discussions, resource speculation is often raised as an additional reason for interest in Greenland.

Greenland is believed to hold potential offshore oil and gas reserves, as well as deposits of rare earth elements, lithium, graphite, and other critical minerals. These materials are essential for electronics, renewable energy systems, and defence technologies.

It is important to note that Greenland currently restricts new oil and gas exploration licences, largely due to environmental concerns. Large-scale extraction remains difficult, expensive, and politically sensitive.

For the United States, oil is not a strategic necessity in Greenland. The country is already one of the world’s largest oil producers. However, critical minerals are a longer-term concern. The US remains heavily dependent on foreign supply chains, particularly from China, for many of these materials.

This makes Greenland attractive as a potential future partner rather than an immediate resource solution.

Why scepticism exists

Despite official explanations, scepticism persists, and not without reason.

In recent years, the United States has taken highly visible actions elsewhere that involved control over oil production and transport. These actions have reinforced a long-standing public perception that resource interests sometimes sit beneath security justifications.

The Iraq War remains a powerful reference point. Although the official rationale focused on weapons and security threats, the protection and control of oil fields became a defining feature of the conflict in the public imagination. That perception continues to shape how many people interpret US foreign policy today.

More recently, actions involving sanctions, tanker seizures, and control of oil revenues in other regions have revived these concerns. When military or economic pressure coincides with resource-rich territories, scepticism follows.

Against this backdrop, even legitimate security interests can be viewed through a lens of historical mistrust.

Greenland is not Iraq, but history shapes perception

Greenland differs significantly from past conflict zones. It is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO ally. The United States does not dispute Danish sovereignty and has repeatedly stated that Greenland’s future must be decided by its people.

US engagement in Greenland has focused on diplomacy, scientific cooperation, and defence partnerships rather than intervention. There has been no military conflict, no occupation, and no attempt to forcibly extract resources.

However, history matters. Public opinion is shaped not only by current actions but by patterns over time. When people see strategic interest combined with resource potential, they naturally draw comparisons.

Denmark’s role as a stabilising factor

Denmark plays a crucial role in shaping how Greenland is engaged internationally. As the sovereign state responsible for defence and foreign policy, Denmark ensures that US involvement occurs within established legal and diplomatic frameworks.

This partnership reduces the likelihood of unilateral action and helps keep Greenland’s development aligned with environmental standards and local governance.

The broader reality

Greenland’s importance to the United States is real, and it is primarily rooted in geography and defence. Resource speculation exists, but it is not the driving force behind current policy.

At the same time, scepticism is understandable. History has taught many people to question official narratives when strategic interests and natural resources overlap.

The truth lies in the tension between these two realities. Greenland matters because of where it is, what it enables, and what it may one day provide. How it is treated will determine whether it becomes a model of cooperation or another chapter in a long story of mistrust.

Greenland is not a prize to be taken, but a partner to be engaged. Whether that distinction holds in the long term will depend not just on policy statements, but on actions.

In a world shaped by climate change, great power competition, and historical memory, even legitimate interests must contend with the weight of the past.

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Set aside time to worry

Diane Hall
Sep 18, 2024
4 min read

According to Paul Young, co-owner of Spiffy, The Happiness Shop, we should build time into our busy schedules to worry.

Woman stressing about all the incoming tasks

This may sound a strange thing to do; however, unnecessary worrying affects many people, and it can have a detrimental effect on their lives.

Human beings, in their caveman days, worried only about where their next meal was coming from, and ensuring they were not on the menu of hungry sabre-toothed tigers on the prowl. The worry as to whether their basic needs would be met was still inherent in Homo Sapiens in 10,000BC, which isn’t that long ago when you consider that they first appeared approximately 288,000 years prior.

In 2022AD, food is plentiful. We also have heat, shelter, clean(ish) air, access to clean water, clothing and the safety to go to sleep at night, etc. Most human beings’ needs on our planet today are easily met.

We don’t often find ourselves in life-threatening situations in the modern world; however, our brains have not adapted to this shift. They may not need to be concerned about sabre-toothed tigers, but that doesn’t mean they switch off. Instead, they create worries and problems for their hosts to solve.

There’s a well-known piece of advice relating to stress: will what you’re fretting over matter in five years’ time? If it’s not significant enough to impact your life in the not-too-distant-future, it’s not worth worrying about in the here and now, experts claim.

I get the premise behind that well-meaning advice, but often, I don’t feel in control of my worry. I suffer from acute anxiety in a number of real-life situations; however, once I’m out of, or away from, these scenarios, my anxiety disappears. Aimless worrying, in comparison, tends to stick around.

Though I don’t sit and worry for hours on end, as a woman of a certain age, I’m not immune to the menopausal hormone drop that occurs between 2am and 4am. Should I wake during this time window, I may as well not bother trying to get back to sleep—and this is when my worrying mind is most active.

In the early hours, I worry about job-related work I’ve to complete the next day, even though I know it will all be in hand when I get going. I worry about the life admin I’ve to sort. I worry about little details that are important and which I’d forgotten, and I worry whether I’ll still remember them when I wake up. I worry about my kids, even though they’re both adults with their own lives. Like everyone, I worry about money and whether I’m spending too much. I worry about things I’ve said, the things I’ve done. I ultimately worry that my worries are preventing me from getting much-needed sleep.

It's exhausting.

Young suggests setting time aside to address your worries rather than letting them pop up whenever they please. When you are able to concentrate on them, he recommends writing down your concerns on a piece of paper, so that you can scrutinise them properly. He believes this will give you some perspective, and seeing them written down may also make it easier to apply logic, which will help you determine the most appropriate solution.

A year long calendar view on a mobile phone

It’s important to remember that there’s only so much of your daily life that’s within your control. You’re not responsible for the emotions/actions of other people or outside influences such as the economy and the weather. Your first task, therefore, it to eliminate any worry about such things—it’s simply a waste of your energy if you can’t do anything about the outcome. What will happen will happen, regardless of any mental anguish you extol.

Young suggests that freelancing individuals can particularly benefit from this approach. As people who tend not to have a regular income, finances may be a particular worry amid the current cost-of-living crisis.

If worries are left to fester, they can affect an individual’s focus, which will have its own detrimental impact on their productivity, which surely makes Young’s suggestions worth a try.

Paula Gardner of the The Good Therapy Practice agrees that freelancers can be more susceptible to worry, which could be, she suggests, a result of remote working. When working from a shared office space or your employer’s business premises, it’s satisfying to physically shut the door on your working day. This sense of closure helps individuals exercise their boundaries, which may be a task more difficult for remote workers, whose home lives and working environments exist in the same space.

Because we don’t have to hunt for our food anymore or switch into survival mode umpteen times a day, we need to give our mind enough to do so that it doesn’t turn rogue and create mountains out of molehills. Read, take up a hobby, practice mindfulness, go for a walk, or just zone out in front of the TV if this is distracting enough for you. Get into a good routine before bedtime to ensure a decent night’s sleep—such as no phones or tablets in the bedroom, a relaxing bath, a milky drink…there are lots of suggestions online in this regard, just find what works for you.

Worrying for worry’s sake is unhealthy and a waste of your time. Put pen to paper and proactively tackle your concerns head on.