Trump’s Greenland push drives Danish prime minister to call early election
Denmark will head to the polls March 24 after Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called a snap parliamentary election, a move widely viewed as an attempt to consolidate rising public support tied to her handling of tensions with President Donald Trump over Greenland.
Frederiksen announced the early vote Wednesday, arguing Denmark needs political clarity at a time of mounting geopolitical pressure. According to Reuters, she said the country faces “a serious foreign policy situation,” adding voters should have a say in how Denmark navigates it.
Her center-left Social Democratic government has seen a lift in opinion polls in recent weeks after taking a firm stance that Greenland is not for sale and that Danish sovereignty is non-negotiable.
The dispute with Washington has reshaped the domestic political conversation, pushing Arctic security and national sovereignty to the forefront of Danish politics.
TRUMP TELLS DAVOS US ALONE CAN SECURE GREENLAND, INSISTS HE WON’T ‘USE FORCE’
Frederiksen, who has led Denmark since mid-2019, has spent much of the past year managing the fallout from Trump’s renewed push to acquire Greenland, the vast Arctic island that is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Tensions escalated sharply last month when Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on Denmark and several other European Union countries.
Trump has argued that the United States needs control of the North Atlantic island for national security reasons, citing increased activity by Russia and China in the Arctic. The region has grown in strategic importance as melting ice opens shipping routes and access to natural resources, intensifying competition among major powers.
The standoff appeared to ease after Trump announced that a framework agreement to strengthen Arctic security had been reached in talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. After that announcement, U.S., Danish and Greenlandic officials began technical discussions on implementing the arrangement, focusing on security coordination rather than any change in sovereignty.
Throughout the crisis, Frederiksen and other senior Danish officials repeatedly emphasized that Greenland’s status is not up for negotiation. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference earlier in February, Frederiksen cautioned that she did not believe the crisis had fully passed and suggested Washington could still harbor ambitions to annex the island.
RUSSIA, CHINA SQUEEZE US ARCTIC DEFENSE ZONE AS TRUMP EYES GREENLAND
According to The Guardian, Danish commentators have described the prime minister’s polling boost as a “Greenland bounce,” reflecting growing domestic approval of her firm posture toward Washington.
Frederiksen’s decision to call early elections appears aimed at converting that surge into a renewed mandate. Denmark’s next general election had not been scheduled until later this year, but the prime minister argued that the current security climate justifies seeking fresh voter backing.
Greenland, home to roughly 56,000 people, has long been strategically significant due to its location between North America and Europe. The United States maintains a military presence there at Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base. Any suggestion of U.S. acquisition has historically been sensitive in both Copenhagen and Nuuk, Greenland’s capital.
Euronews reported that Frederiksen’s government has stressed cooperation with allies while firmly rejecting any negotiations over Greenland’s sovereignty. European leaders have signaled support for Denmark, reinforcing the view that Arctic stability is increasingly central to NATO and EU planning.
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Opposition parties have criticized the timing of the snap election, arguing that Frederiksen is seeking a political advantage during a moment of heightened nationalism. Others, however, have largely backed the government’s line on Greenland, suggesting that the sovereignty issue may transcend traditional party divides.
The March 24 vote will determine whether Frederiksen can strengthen her coalition or voters shift the parliamentary balance. It will also serve as a broader test of how Danes believe their country should manage its relationship with Washington as Arctic security becomes a defining issue of global competition.
Trump envoy rebukes Greenland leader for rejecting hospital ship proposal
Greenland’s rejection of President Donald Trump sending a U.S. military hospital ship has touched off a private-public healthcare debate amid ongoing diplomatic talks about Arctic security.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Sunday turned down Trump’s offer, and now Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, has weighed in.
“Shame on Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen!” Landry wrote in response to a Fox News report on Nielsen’s objection. “President Donald J. Trump and America care. After speaking to many Greenlanders about the day to day problems they face, one issue stood out — healthcare.”
Greenland has sought more self-governance from Denmark under the Self Government Act in 2009 to take more local authority under home rule, but Danish officials’ instant rejection of Trump’s offer is aligned with Greenland’s own rejection that came later Sunday.
CANADA AND FRANCE OPENING NEW CONSULATES IN GREENLAND’S CAPITAL AMID TRUMP PRESSURE
“President Trump’s idea of sending an American hospital ship here to Greenland has been noted,” Nielsen wrote in a translated Facebook post. “But we have a public healthcare system where treatment is free for citizens.
“It is a deliberate choice.”
Greenland remains open to dialogue and cooperation with the U.S., with a caveat, according to Nielsen.
“But talk to us instead of just making more or less random outbursts on social media,” Nielsen said in his own public Facebook protestation.
TRUMP KEEPS MACRON UNDER SPOTLIGHT AS GREENLAND TALKS GRIND FORWARD FROM DAVOS
Greenland’s “free for citizens” care is not sufficient, Landry argued in his Facebook response posted to his campaign’s page.
“Many villages and small towns lack basic services that Americans often take for granted,” Landry’s post continued. “Small settlements are without permanent doctors, diagnostic tools, or specialist care – forcing residents to travel great distances for vital treatments that should be available at home.”
The healthcare issue underlies the overreaching Trump hopes to annex Greenland to secure the strategic Arctic region from Russian and Chinese designs, calling it a vital issue for “national security” for both the U.S. and the NATO alliance.
“A healthy Greenland is vital for America’s national security,” Landry’s post concluded. “America is committed to defending Greenland, and that begins by ensuring its people are defended against basic illnesses and ailments.
“These missions matter because health is inseparable from security. America’s commitment to defending Greenland must begin with ensuring its people are healthy.”
The recent dust-up came after Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command evacuated a crew member who required urgent medical treatment from a U.S. submarine in Greenlandic waters, seven nautical miles outside of Greenland’s capital of Nuuk.
“Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there,” Trump wrote Saturday night on Truth Social. “It’s on the way!!!”
That post sparked objections from both Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Sunday.
“The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs,” Poulsen told Danish broadcaster DR, according to Reuters. “They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialized treatment, they receive it in Denmark.
VANCE: US SHOULD GET ‘SOME BENEFIT’ FROM GREENLAND IF IT’S GOING TO BE ‘ON THE HOOK’ FOR PROTECTING TERRITORY
“So it’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland.”
Frederiksen spun the Trump offer into a political debate on public healthcare.
“Am happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all,” Frederiksen wrote in a translated post, sharing a Democrat attack point on Trump’s Republican Party’s struggles to reform what Trump has rebuked as a “failure” of Obamacare. “Where it’s not insurances and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment. You have the same approach in Greenland.”
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The U.S. Navy has two hospital ships, the Mercy and the Comfort. Both were last docked in Alabama for repairs, according to Reuters.
Trump sending US military hospital ship to Greenland to ‘take care’ of sick
President Donald Trump‘s designs to take over Greenland have been quiet for a few weeks, but a Joint Arctic Command medical evacuation by Denmark on Saturday now has the U.S. sending a “great hospital boat” to take care of the “sick.”
“Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there,” Trump wrote Saturday night on Truth Social. “It’s on the way!!!”
Gov. Landry was designated the special envoy to Greenland in December and held formal discussions of the road map of Trump’s designs to solidify Arctic security from threats from Russia or China.
Then in late January, Landry spoke with NATO leadership and expressed support for a “framework of a future deal” to expand U.S. influence in the region.
TRUMP WARNS US CAN NO LONGER THINK ‘PURELY OF PEACE’ AS HE PUSHES FOR GREENLAND CONTROL
Landry, who was in Washington, D.C., for the national governors meeting late last week, thanked Trump for his support for Greenland.
“Proud to work with you on this important issue!” Landry replied on X to Trump’s Truth Social post.
The news comes as Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command evacuated a crew member who required urgent medical treatment from a U.S. submarine in Greenlandic waters, seven nautical miles outside of Greenland’s capital of Nuuk.
TOP NATO OFFICIAL REVEALS DETAILS OF STUNNING MEETING WITH TRUMP THAT PRODUCED GREENLAND DEAL ‘FRAMEWORK’
The crew member has been transferred to the Greenlandic health authorities via a Danish Defense Seahawk helicopter to a hospital in Nuuk, according to the Joint Arctic Command.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen did not directly reject Trump’s overture, but he did tell Danish broadcaster DR on Sunday that Greenland is all set.
“The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs,” Poulsen said. “They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialized treatment, they receive it in Denmark.
TRUMP KEEPS MACRON UNDER SPOTLIGHT AS GREENLAND TALKS GRIND FORWARD FROM DAVOS
“So it’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland.”
Danish King Frederik paid a second visit to Greenland in a year last week, an attempt to demonstrate unity with the territory in the face of Trump’s push to buy the island.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen did not directly address the Trump post on his own Facebook account hours later, but she did extoll socialist ideology on healthcare “for all.”
NORAD AIRCRAFT TO ARRIVE IN GREENLAND FOR ROUTINE EXERCISES
“Am happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all,” Frederiksen wrote in a translated post, sharing a Democrat attack point on Trump’s Republican Party’s struggles to reform what Trump has rebuked as a “failure” of Obamacare. “Where it’s not insurances and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment. You have the same approach in Greenland.”
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The U.S. Navy has two hospital ships, the Mercy and the Comfort. Both were last docked in Alabama for repairs, according to Reuters.
Olympic hockey fans raise Greenland’s flag during USA’s dominant win over Denmark, sparking viral reaction
During Team USA’s comeback men’s hockey win over Denmark at the Winter Olympics, two fans raised the flag of Greenland in the stands to protest President Donald Trump’s intent to acquire Greenland for the U.S.
The flag was raised enthusiastically after Denmark took an early lead. However, the U.S. came back to win the game 6-3.
Vita Kalniņa and her husband Alexander Kalniņš, fans of the Latvian hockey team who live in Germany, held up a large Greenland flag during warmups and again when the Danish team scored the opening goal of the preliminary round game against the U.S., which ultimately beat Denmark 6-3.
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“We are Europeans, and I think as Europeans we must hold together,” Kalniņš told The Associated Press.
“The Greenlandic people decide what will happen with Greenland, but, as it is now, Greenland is a part of the Danish kingdom and, as Greenland is a part of Denmark, as in this case, we support both countries against the U.S.”
A Danish fan at the game, Dennis Petersen, said, “It doesn’t matter whatever sport it is — it could be tennis, it could be bobsledding, it can be ice hockey, it could be football — it has nothing to do with politics. … They are athletes, not politicians.”
An American fan at the game, Rem de Rohan, said, “I think this is the time for people to kind of put that down and compete country versus country and enjoy,” he said. “We love rooting on every country that’s been here.”
Fans on social media had their own reactions to the flag display and the result of the game.
“Now that the USA is up 4-2 could we place a wager that if the USA wins the game, Denmark gives up Greenland?” one fan wrote in response to the flag.
One fan wrote, “Team USA won, do we get Greenland now?”
AMERICANS ATTENDING OLYMPICS URGED TO ‘EXERCISE CAUTION’ AFTER ITALIAN RAILWAYS HIT BY SUSPECTED ‘SABOTAGE’
Another fan similarly said, “How did that turn out? we won, we get greenland now.”
Some American conservative influencers used the U.S. victory as a springboard to make viral jokes about annexing Greenland.
The comeback victory by the U.S. appeared uncertain early in the game.
After trailing 2-1 through the first period, the Americans dominated on offense to take a 6-3 victory over Denmark Saturday in the Milan Cortina Olympic Games.
The Americans scored three unanswered goals to open the second period, with 4 Nations hero Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights) and Noah Hanifin (Vegas Golden Knights) finding the back of the net.
Both sets of brothers on the team — Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and Jack and Quinn Hughes — each had a point in the contest. Fourteen players had points for the Americans with a different goal scorer each time the lamp was lit.
The Americans had 47 shots on goal compared to Denmark’s 21.
The U.S. ends preliminary play Sunday with a game against Germany at 3:10 p.m. ET. The Americans will once again be heavy favorites, and a victory will put them into the knockout stage.
The Americans can also go right to the knockout stage with an overtime loss. With a regulation loss, their fate would be determined by Canada’s game against France and point differentials with Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
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But as a heavy favorite against a German team with just eight NHL players, the U.S. may not need to worry.
NATO launches Arctic security push as Trump eyes Greenland takeover
In the face of President Donald Trump’s concerns about Arctic security and his calls for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, NATO has launched a security effort called “Arctic Sentry.”
“Still, in the face of Russia’s increased military activity and China’s growing interest in the High North, it was crucial that we do more, which is why we have just two hours ago launched Arctic Sentry,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said during remarks on Wednesday.
“Initially, it will bring together exercises like Denmark’s Arctic Endurance and Norway’s Cold Response,” he noted.
VANCE: US SHOULD GET ‘SOME BENEFIT’ FROM GREENLAND IF IT’S GOING TO BE ‘ON THE HOOK’ FOR PROTECTING TERRITORY
Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that he had a “very productive meeting” with NATO’s Rutte.
“We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region. This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” Trump wrote at the time.
RUSSIA, CHINA SQUEEZE US ARCTIC DEFENSE ZONE AS TRUMP EYES GREENLAND
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Thursday, a White House official said, “The Arctic is a critical region for U.S. national security and the economy. As an Arctic nation, the United States will pursue its security and economic interests and ensure safety, stability, and prosperity in the face of growing competition from China and Russia.”
A Wednesday press release from Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe noted, “Allied Command Operations (ACO), which is responsible for the planning and execution of all NATO exercises, activities and operations, began Arctic Sentry today.”
“The preparations for Arctic Sentry provided NATO planners with full visibility of Allied nations’ activities in the Arctic and High North. Moving forward, ACO will use Arctic Sentry to cohere these actions into one overarching operational approach to Allies’ increasing activities, which will enhance NATO’s presence there,” the press release notes.
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“These activities include, among others, Denmark’s Arctic Endurance, a series of multi-domain exercises designed to enhance Allied ability to operate in the region, and Norway’s upcoming exercise Cold Response, where troops from across the Alliance have already begun to arrive,” the release states.
Vance: US should get ‘some benefit’ from Greenland if it’s going to be ‘on the hook’ for protecting territory
Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that the United States should get “some benefit” from Greenland if it’s going to “be on the hook for protecting this massive landmass.”
Vance told reporters in Armenia that, “it’s very early in the Greenland talks,” amid the Trump administration’s push to acquire the Danish territory.
“We’ve been working quite a bit on this over the last few weeks, but it’s just very simple. Greenland is very important to the national security of the United States of America,” Vance added.
“I do think that some of our allies have under-invested in Arctic security, and if we’re going to invest in Arctic security, if we’re basically going to pay a lot of money and be on the hook for protecting this massive landmass, I think it’s only reasonable for the United States to get some benefit out of that, and that’s going to be the focus of the negotiations here over the next few months,” Vance said.
RUSSIA, CHINA SQUEEZE US ARCTIC DEFENSE ZONE AS TRUMP EYES GREENLAND
President Donald Trump said in mid-January that the U.S. needs Greenland “for the purpose of national security.”
“It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” Trump said at the time.
A week later, Trump said, “Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region.”
NATO CHIEF WARNS EUROPE CAN’T DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US AS TENSIONS RISE OVER GREENLAND
“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” the president said on Truth Social.
However, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen then insisted that Denmark would not negotiate on its sovereignty despite Trump announcing the “framework” of a deal.
“Security in the Arctic is a matter for the entire NATO alliance. Therefore, it is good and natural that it is also discussed between NATO’s Secretary General and the President of the United States. The Kingdom of Denmark has long worked for NATO to increase its engagement in the Arctic,” Frederiksen noted in a statement, which was written in Danish.
“We have been in close dialogue with NATO and I have spoken to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on an ongoing basis, including both before and after his meeting with President Trump in Davos. NATO is fully aware of the position of the Kingdom of Denmark. We can negotiate on everything political; security, investments, economy. But we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty,” she asserted.
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Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said earlier this month that, “We are pursuing a diplomatic solution through negotiations” with the U.S. and that she is “hopeful and optimistic that we will find common ground that respect our red lines,” according to Reuters.
Canada and France opening new consulates in Greenland’s capital amid Trump pressure
Canada opened its consulate in Greenland’s capital and the first French consul to the Danish territory arrived on Friday, following the Trump administration’s efforts to acquire the island.
“I am en route to Nuuk for the opening of Canada’s new consulate — strengthening Canada’s presence, partnerships, and leadership in the Arctic,” Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand wrote on X Friday morning, later posting a video of the Canadian flag being raised in Nuuk.
She was joined by Governor General of Canada Mary Simon.
Canada had previously announced plans for the consulate in 2024, but its 2025 opening was delayed due to weather.
TRUMP SAYS FRAMEWORK OF ‘FUTURE DEAL’ ON GREENLAND REACHED AFTER NATO TALKS AS TARIFFS PUT ON HOLD
“The future of the Arctic belongs to the people of the Arctic. Tomorrow I will visit Denmark and then on to Greenland,” Simon said in a speech earlier this week. “Let me be clear, Canada stands firmly in support of the people of Greenland who will determine their own future.”
Jean-Noël Poirier also arrived in Nuuk to become the first French Consul General of Greenland on Friday, the French government said in a release.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the Nuuk consulate in June, making it the first European Union country to set up a consulate in Greenland.
The physical French consulate doesn’t exist yet.
TOP NATO OFFICIAL REVEALS DETAILS OF STUNNING MEETING WITH TRUMP THAT PRODUCED GREENLAND DEAL +’FRAMEWORK’
“Deep ties of friendship and key joint projects already link France, Denmark and Greenland, allowing all parties to look forward enthusiastically and confidently to the opening of this new consulate general,” the French government said.
It added, “France reiterates its commitment to respect for the Kingdom of Denmark’s territorial integrity.”
President Donald Trump has been insistent on acquiring Greenland, with administration officials claiming Denmark is unable to defend the semi-autonomous island.
“Greenland is one-fourth the size of the United States,” top White House aide Stephen Miller told Fox News last month. “With respect to Denmark, Denmark is a tiny country with a tiny economy and a tiny military. They cannot defend Greenland, they cannot control the territory of Greenland.”
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In January, Trump threatened to impose 10% tariffs that would increase to 25% in June on eight European countries, including France and Denmark, unless they allowed the U.S. to acquire Greenland.
The president dropped the tariff threat following a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in which Trump said a “framework” for a deal for security in the Arctic had been reached.
The U.S. reopened its consulate in Greenland in 2020 after closing it in 1953.
Russia, China squeeze US Arctic defense zone as Trump eyes Greenland
EXCLUSIVE: After U.S. officials detected a sharp rise in Russian and Chinese military incursions near Alaska — including a growing number of joint operations — Sen. Dan Sullivan is warning that the Arctic has become an active security front. And he’s pushing Congress to accelerate icebreaker construction, reopen Cold War–era bases and bolster U.S. defenses in the region.
Sullivan’s warning comes as new data show foreign military traffic near Alaska climbing sharply, a trend he says has gone largely unnoticed outside the region even as Moscow and Beijing coordinate more closely. He argues the activity has exposed how thin U.S. Arctic capabilities have become and why Washington is now scrambling to catch up.
“Let’s just say the world’s largest fleet of oceanographic survey ships wasn’t off the coast of Alaska to ‘save the whales,’” Sullivan told Fox News Digital in an interview.
President Donald Trump’s ongoing friction with Denmark over Greenland reflects the growing importance of the Arctic for the administration, Sullivan said. As melting ice opens new shipping lanes, energy access and military routes, Alaska is becoming a front line in the contest for economic and strategic dominance.
TRUMP SAYS GREENLAND’S DEFENSE IS ‘TWO DOG SLEDS’ AS HE PUSHES FOR US ACQUISITION OF TERRITORY
Plans to reboot far-flung military operations off Russia’s back door — recently revisited in Tom Cruise’s latest “Mission: Impossible” installment — along with crucial new port infrastructure and a major cash infusion to the U.S. Coast Guard are all efforts to demonstrate the only thing America’s adversaries respect, Sullivan said: “Power.”
Sullivan, R-Alaska, recently chaired a Senate Commerce Subcommittee hearing examining the U.S. Coast Guard’s Arctic presence and discussed a new U.S.-Finnish deal to secure crucial new icebreaker craft and funding from the recent tax-cut law funding for at least three USCG Arctic security cutters amid a record $25 billion total investment in Coast Guard prowess.
The U.S. currently has two, one of which is out of service, while the Russians have 54 icebreaker craft, “nuclear-powered and weaponized,” he said.
Sullivan shared data with Fox News Digital showing a sharp rise in Russian, Chinese and joint Sino-Russian military aircraft and maritime incursions into the U.S. Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ, a security buffer stretching beyond 12-nautical-mile sovereign U.S. airspace where foreign craft are required to identify themselves.
Since 2019, there have been more than 100 Russian aircraft, four Chinese vessels and, most alarmingly, more than a dozen joint operations that have entered the ADIZ, Sullivan said.
Trump’s recent focus on Greenland underscored the urgency of Arctic national security, Sullivan said, echoing warnings from NATO commander USAF Gen. Alexus Grynkewich that China’s expanding “research” presence in the region is becoming increasingly aggressive.
NATO CHIEF PRAISES TRUMP AT DAVOS, SAYS HE FORCED EUROPE TO ‘STEP UP’ ON DEFENSE
While the Russians identify with the Arctic, China’s self-moniker of a “near-Arctic power” is confounding and concerning, he added, pointing to its actual location on the globe.
Sullivan said the situation is reminiscent of Vladimir Lenin’s mantra that when you probe an enemy with a bayonet, “if you find mush, you push. If you find steel, you withdraw.”
The U.S., he said, must steel itself against these threats, and Congress must be on the front lines, ensuring the resources and defenses are ready and in service.
WHY TRUMP ZEROED IN ON GREENLAND AND WHY IT MATTERS IN 3 MAPS
“The only thing authoritarian regimes that are our adversaries understand is power. That’s U.S. energy security, Coast Guard, military assets and infrastructure.”
As the chairman of the Senate Commerce Coast Guard subcommittee, Sullivan said he is working hard to ensure that is what Moscow and Beijing will see, noting the new Storis icebreaker vessel received funding to home port in Juneau, along with 16 more icebreakers and $4.5 billion in shorefront infrastructure.
In addition, a World War II-era base on far-flung Adak in the Aleutian Chain is on track to be reopened, Sullivan revealed.
AMERICA DOESN’T NEED TO OWN GREENLAND — THERE’S A BETTER, MORE PEACEFUL WAY
The base, somewhat dramatized in “Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning,” which featured a counter-Soviet listening post on nearby St. Matthew Island, was key to Allied defenses as Japan bombed present-day crabbing port Dutch Harbor and invaded Attu and Kiska islands, events less remembered than the Axis’ other Pacific attack at Pearl Harbor.
Adak’s Base largely closed down in 1994 after the end of the Cold War.
Sullivan revealed he secured $115 million to begin rebuilding Adak, paired with $500 million to establish a deepwater port in Nome, one of the closest cities to both Russia and the Arctic Ocean.
NATO CHIEF WARNS EUROPE CAN’T DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US AS TENSIONS RISE OVER GREENLAND
The state of Alaska matched that Nome investment and put $30 million of its own funds toward the new Adak project, Sullivan said. Gov. Mike Dunleavy separately told Fox News Digital that enhancing Alaska’s icebreaking capabilities and expanding the Coast Guard’s presence to safeguard the state’s coastline are key.
“[Further,] supporting life-saving missions and countering foreign influence in the Arctic are vital not only to our state but to the nation as a whole. Alaska stands ready to receive these icebreakers and leverage our geostrategic position to advance Trump’s America First agenda,” Dunleavy said.
Brent Sadler, a naval warfare expert and veteran at the Heritage Foundation, said the Arctic — and Antarctic — are also critical for space-based sensors detecting long-range missile attacks.
US COMMANDER SAYS RUSSIA AND CHINA’S ARCTIC PATROLS ARE ‘NOT FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES’
“China and Russia have impacted our fishermen’s livelihoods with military exercises in our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) … (and) should be viewed as a threat. It needs to be deterred and pushed back on appropriately with an increased Coast Guard presence,” Sadler said.
Many of Russia’s incursions lately have originated in Anadyr, directly across the Bering Strait from Nome, and Adak sits just a few hundred miles east of Kamchatka, Russia.
Paired with Trump’s Golden Dome security initiative, Sullivan said now is the time to “plus-up” Arctic defenses as malign activity continues in his backyard.
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The “peace through strength” mantra is best served this way, he said, as each area targeted in the latest appropriation brings U.S. might right to Russia and China’s face, versus more populated but less strategic areas to build up like Kodiak and Anchorage.
“We’ve got to keep pedal-to-the-metal, and I give President Trump and his team a lot of credit. He was talking about Arctic issues and icebreakers and missile defense during his first term, and now we’re doing it,” Sullivan said.
“It’s important because the Chinese and Russians understand one thing: power — big flashy speeches without backing it up with military force don’t really mean anything.”
Greenland offers tourists ice fjords and hot springs, plus flights from US airports
With President Donald Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland for national defense and security reasons, the country also offers an arctic escape for tourists young and old.
While about 80% of the land is covered in ice, Greenland is a hot spot for ice fjords, hot springs, outdoor activities, wildlife and museums. It’s a “land of stark beauty and contrasts… [and] can feel like a world apart,” according to Frommers.
The capital of Greenland, Nuuk, is the biggest city in the country, with less than 20,000 people. It boasts restaurants, fashion boutiques, unique architecture and several museums, according to Visit Greenland.
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Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, as well as airports in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Houston, Seattle and San Francisco, all offer flights to Nuuk.
United Airlines launched the first-ever direct, seasonal flights from Newark to Nuuk last summer.
Nuuk features the Greenland National Museum and Archives, the Nuuk Art Museum and the Katuaq Cultural Center.
Outside Nuuk in West Greenland is Ilulissat, home of the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The area is home to Sermeq Kujalleq, which is one of the fastest and most active glaciers in the world, according to UNESCO.
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Visitors can see massive icebergs while taking boat trips and going on nearby hikes.
Disko Bay, with its iceberg-filled waters, is popular for whale watching in summer.
South Greenland has greener landscapes and is home to Kujataa.
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A UNESCO cultural landscape, Kujataa is known for Norse and Inuit farming, hunting and fishing.
The Norse were Scandinavian Viking-era settlers who, led by Erik the Red from Iceland, established medieval farming colonies in southwestern Greenland around 985–986 CE, according to the Mariners’ Museum and Park and other sources.
“Sheep farming, in particular, is central to the region’s cultural landscape,” writes UNESCO.
“Mild summers and long daylight hours foster high-quality grazing, producing wool and meat essential for local livelihoods.”
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Southern Greenland is also popular for its 38-degree hot springs with crystal-clear waters — discovered over 1,000 years ago, according to Visit Greenland.
One of the most popular springs is the Uunartoq Hot Springs, which is surrounded by mountain peaks and drifting icebergs.
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In 2023, tourism to Greenland — including both arrivals by air and cruise passengers — reached an estimated 116,000 visitors, according to several sources.
Greenland’s total visitors in 2024–2025 were projected to be in the 120,000–140,000 range annually.
Fox News Digital reached out to Visit Greenland and the Greenland Representation in Washington, D.C., for comment.