When President Donald Trump proposed the idea of the United States purchasing Greenland in 2019, he was met with widespread ridicule. Politicians and media outlets dismissed it as an absurd and unrealistic proposition. However, history has repeatedly demonstrated that visionary leaders often recognize strategic opportunities before the political class catches up. Trump’s instinct was correct: Greenland is a vital asset that the United States needs now more than ever, both for its military importance and its vast reserves of critical rare earth elements (REEs).

The idea of the US acquiring Greenland is not a novel one. As early as 1868, Secretary of State William Seward proposed acquiring Greenland and Iceland, recognizing their strategic importance. During World War II, following Denmark’s fall to Nazi Germany, the United States swiftly moved to establish military bases in Greenland to prevent Axis forces from exploiting its location. Despite these efforts, Nazi Germany managed to operate four weather stations on the island, demonstrating its strategic vulnerability.

In 1946, President Harry Truman made a formal offer of $100 million to Denmark to purchase Greenland, citing its immense value as a Cold War military asset. Although Denmark rejected the proposal, Greenland remained strategically important. The US continued to operate Thule Air Base (now Pituffik Space Base), a crucial Arctic military installation that plays a key role in missile defense and space surveillance.

Today, as climate change opens up new Arctic trade routes, Greenland’s strategic importance has only increased. The island sits at the crossroads of emerging maritime corridors between North America, Europe, and Asia, making it a valuable geopolitical asset.

Beyond its strategic location, Greenland possesses some of the world’s largest untapped deposits of rare........

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