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Experts point out that Greenland, whose glaciers are melting due to climate change, has sparked US President-elect Donald Trump’s interest in countering threats originating from the North Atlantic.

The global scramble for strategic geographic locations has turned Greenland from a barren ice-covered land into a geopolitical hotspot.

As Donald Trump prepares to assume office as the 47th US president on Jan. 20, his call to bring Greenland under US control in the name of national security raises questions about the future direction of regional geopolitics.

Due to its critical geographic position, Greenland is considered vital for the US ballistic missile early warning system against potential military threats, including those from Russia.

The island also holds promise due to its wealth of natural resources that are expected to become accessible as the ice melts.

Experts analyzing the Arctic interests of the US, Russia, and China are closely monitoring the statements from Greenland’s legal authority, the Danish government, and the US regarding the island’s future.

Professor Klaus Dodds of Royal Holloway, University of London, noted that the melting ice and Greenland’s rich natural resource reserves could make the island even more appealing for Trump.

Referring to China’s recent threats to restrict exports of critical minerals and related technologies, Dodds said: “Trump and his advisors are deeply concerned about China’s stranglehold in this area.”

Ditte Brasso Sorensen, an analyst at Copenhagen-based Think Tank Europa, emphasized the growing demand for minerals and the reliance on China for rare earth metals, suggesting a need to "explore untouched resources and diversify supply chains."

Victoria Herrmann, president of the Arctic Institute, criticized the idea of purchasing Greenland as “outdated and colonial.”

She suggested that the US should instead pursue closer economic cooperation with the island.

Kristian Soby Kristensen of the Center for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen noted Denmark’s historical reliance on US military presence in Greenland due to its inability to defend the vast island independently and in line with NATO’s security guarantees.

Greenland open to increased US cooperation as Trump eyes strategic island

Greenland’s prime minister said Monday that his country is ready to increase cooperation with the US under the leadership of Trump, local broadcaster KNR reported.

“We have the doors open in relation to mining. This will also be the case in the coming years. We have to trade with the US,” said Mute B. Egede.

Recently, Denmark proposed that Trump boost security in Greenland, including increasing the US military presence on the island, in private messages to his team, the American news website Axios reported Saturday.

The Danish government wants to dissuade Trump from seizing the island by addressing his security concerns as the Nordic country, an ally of Washington both in NATO and in the European Union, avoids a political clash with the US, according to the report.

In a post on his Truth Social platform in December, Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, described the ownership and control of Greenland as an “absolute necessity” for the US, reiterating his desire to make the island nation part of the US.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Friday that she is seeking talks with Trump regarding his remarks about Greenland, adding she does not believe the president-elect would attempt to seize the Arctic country by force.

Greenland, the world’s largest island, has been an autonomous territory of Denmark since 1979. Located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, it is home to a US military base and holds strategic importance, as it offers the shortest route from North America to Europe.