When it comes to Greenland, it’s up to the U.S. to mind the gap

“Mind the gap” is the warning that London Underground passengers have long gotten to watch their step; it is also a phrase that should ring clearly in the ears of our leaders. Securing what is known as the Greenland, Iceland, and UK, or GIUK, gap is critically important. As Chinese and Russian threats mount in the Arctic region, our national and global security depends on American leadership. At the crux of this is securing the world’s largest island and our North American neighbor, Greenland.

The Arctic is a critical front for global great power competition. The U.S. is the only nation that can secure the island on behalf of the free world. And we must stand in the gap, or else China and Russia will do it for us. They are already marching toward that end. The time to act is now.

President-elect Donald Trump recognized this in his first term in office. I was the U.S. Ambassador to DenmarkGreenland, and the Faroe Islands in his administration. In this capacity, I saw firsthand the promise of U.S. engagement in the region and the danger if we continued to cede ground to our adversaries. With a population of just 57,000, Greenland spans a massive territory with wide-ranging security implications.

In the absence of U.S. leadership, our adversaries fill the gap. Russian military activity in the Arctic, Sub-Arctic, and GIUK gap is no secret. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) state-owned enterprises are making economic inroads in Greenland, including interest in most of Greenland’s strategically important rare earth mines.

Despite our historical engagement in the region, U.S. presence has lapsed. We closed the U.S. consulate in Greenland after World War II in 1953. In 1992, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the U.S. abandoned its Greenlandic military bases and relinquished the Kangerlussuaq airport back to the Danish. However, our peacetime posture has left us with very real vulnerabilities to increasing aggressive movements by Russia and China.

Thankfully, during Mr. Trump’s first administration, we moved to stand in the gap.

I saw the risks up close. In 2016, a Chinese state-owned company tried to buy an old U.S. deep water port in southern Greenland. In November 2017, the CCP flew the Greenlandic government and Premier to Beijing and rolled out the red carpet, offering Chinese state-owned companies to finance and build three Greenlandic airports to lure Greenland into the People’s Republic of China’s debt-trap diplomacy.

In response, the Trump administration re-established our diplomatic ties with Greenland. Though Denmark rebuffed Mr. Trump’s offer to buy Greenland with much fanfare, it kickstarted negotiations for real progress in the region. In 2020, we successfully reopened our U.S. consulate 67 years after its closure. I signed a trade and cooperation agreement with Greenland on behalf of the United States. We worked to counter Chinese economic influence and expand U.S. military presence in the region. We moved to increase diplomatic ties by using our knowledge-sharing resources to support Greenland’s development. These were necessary steps forward and long overdue.

Despite progress, the fight to neutralize the Chinese and Russian threats remains. Yet, President Biden deprioritized progress on building U.S.–Greenland ties upon taking office.

In contrast, Russia and China continue to make inroads.

The U.S. is the only realistic counterpoint.

Denmark, with a population of under 6 million, does not have the capacity to secure GreenlandDenmark has yet to meet its promise to NATO to contribute 2% of their GDP to Danish defense to secure their own territory. Recent promises of additional funding for Greenland are just a drop in the bucket compared to what is required. Denmark cannot defend the small country of Denmark, much less the vast territory of GreenlandDenmark is unable to close the gap.

For their part, Greenlanders have long advocated independence from the Kingdom of Denmark. The Greenlandic premier just recently declared the Greenlanders’ intention to move swiftly toward that end. The election this spring will be pivotal in determining that outcome. However, security needs remain, and Greenland will not be able to meet that challenge alone.

The world needs U.S. leadership.

Fortunately, as Mr. Trump moves into his second term, he is bringing the issue back to the forefront. The U.S. is essential in harnessing the resources not only to defend but also to develop Greenland. Now, we also have a strategic vision. This vision will be key to maintaining American leadership and strength to counter the malign influence of our adversaries.

This vision will also be mutually beneficial. No one understands better than Mr. Trump that economic and national security go hand in hand. U.S. engagement will benefit Greenlanders with much-needed development, from resources to education. It will strengthen the U.S. posture in the region and allow us to protect our strategic security interests.

Put simply, it’s high time for the free world to get serious and “mind the gap” in our foreign policy. The United States must lead in securing the Arctic front. Americans, and the world over, benefit from brave American leaders who stand in the gap and protect our interests.