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WHY THE U.S. SEEKS DIRECT CONTROL OF GREENLAND IN 2026 The U.S. push for full control of Greenland—beyond the current 1951 defense agreement with Denmark—centers on four interconnected strategic imperatives that have reached critical urgency due to Arctic ice melt, Russian militarization, Chinese economic penetration, and evolving great-power competition. Homeland & Missile Defense Dominance Greenland's location makes Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule) the cornerstone of U.S. early-warning radar for ballistic missiles, hypersonics, and space threats. No equivalent site exists for redundancy. Full ownership eliminates any risk of restricted access due to Danish or Greenlandic political shifts and enables unrestricted upgrades for systems like a future continental missile shield. Countering Russian Arctic Supremacy Russia has rebuilt and expanded dozens of Arctic bases (air, naval, ground, and radar) along its coastline, far outnumbering NATO assets. This gives Moscow effective control over the Northern Sea Route and growing ability to project power into the North Atlantic via the GIUK Gap. U.S. control of Greenland would anchor the western Arctic flank, deny Russia uncontested dominance, and secure monitoring of Russian submarine and bomber activity. Blocking Chinese Strategic Inroads China is aggressively pursuing an "Arctic Silk Road" through new ice-free shipping lanes and has invested heavily in Greenland's rare-earth mining projects. Direct U.S. control would prevent Beijing from gaining footholds in critical mineral supply chains (where it currently holds ~80–90% global dominance) & limit dual-use infrastructure that could support Chinese military logistics in the future. Securing Emerging Trade Routes and Resources Rapid Arctic warming is opening transpolar and coastal shipping routes that shorten Asia–Europe transit by thousands of miles. Greenland sits at the nexus of these lanes. Its vast untapped deposits of rare earths, uranium, and other strategic minerals are vital for U.S. defense and technology industries. Ownership ensures American firms can develop them w/out foreign interference. Why "Now"? The combination of accelerating climate-driven access, Russia's ongoing base expansion, China's deepening Arctic investments, and the political window under the current U.S. administration has made 2026 a decisive moment. Existing alliance-based access is viewed as insufficient against long-term adversarial encroachment; direct control is seen as the only way to guarantee permanent strategic advantage in a region transforming into a global geopolitical and economic center. - @JacSarobahs · 15h