Why Trump Wants Greenland: The Arctic, Missiles & America’s National Security Strategy Explained

Why is President Donald Trump once again pushing to acquire Greenland — and why is the world paying attention? This isn’t about real estate or symbolism. It’s about hard geography, missile defence, and the Arctic becoming the next frontline of global power competition. Greenland sits directly beneath the shortest missile flight path — the Great Circle Route — between Russia’s Kola Peninsula and the United States. In the event of a nuclear exchange, intercontinental ballistic missiles would arc over Greenland, making it the most critical location for early warning and interception during the missile’s mid-course phase. The US already operates Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, a key hub for missile tracking and space surveillance. But as Arctic ice melts, new shipping lanes are opening, China is expanding its Arctic footprint, and Russia is militarising the north.