President-elect Trump’s talk of taking over or acquiring Greenland is highlighting bipartisan talks about the need to increase security around the Arctic island and boost defenses in the region.

The GOP views Trump’s desire for Greenland as a negotiating point for enhanced Arctic security linked to his strategy on confronting China. Trump has also discussed taking back the Panama Canal, where China controls two of five ports.

Democrats agree there is room to bolster security in Greenland and the high north, even if they disapprove of Trump’s suggestion he could use military force to take over a nation home to some 55,000 people.

“There's no question that Russia is much more present up there and China's now raising their game, and they're acquiring property in Iceland,” Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) said.

“That part of the world is going to be increasingly important,” added Courtney, ranking member of the House Armed Services seapower subcommittee.

The Arctic is becoming more contested as climate change melts ice sheets and opens up new sea paths. China, which describes itself as a near-Arctic power, and Russia, considered an Arctic power along with the U.S., are ramping up activity to compete in the region with American and NATO forces.

Greenland is a strategic island in the northern frontier overseen by NATO ally Denmark that also has rich minerals for critical technology like electric vehicles, a market that China now dominates. Greenland has also seen heavy investment from China in several industries, while Denmark has been criticized for neglecting the island’s security.

Trump, who said he wanted to buy Greenland during his first term, has........

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