Denmark has just staged what officials are calling its largest-ever defense drill across Greenland, a hard stare into the Arctic that should wake every American who cares about homeland security. The exercise — billed as a show of sovereignty and readiness in a place that sits like a natural shield between Russia and North America — underscores how strategic Greenland truly is.
Known as Arctic Light 2025, the operation drew hundreds of troops from European NATO partners to practice air, land, and sea operations in brutally remote conditions, but notably it moved forward without U.S. combat units on the field. Leaving American forces on the sidelines while allies posture sends a mixed message: gratitude for European commitment, yes, but concern that Washington’s vital interests in the High North are being treated as optional.
This matters because Copenhagen has admitted it neglected Greenland’s defense for years and has only now started a major rearmament push — roughly 14.6 billion kroner earmarked to beef up Arctic surveillance, ships, and drones. That investment is welcome, but let’s be clear: European spending increases do not replace American leadership, especially when we face patchwork cooperation and rising Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic.
Americans should also remember that the recent political fireworks about Greenland weren’t made up; President Trump publicly declared Greenland an area of vital interest to the United States, forcing an overdue conversation about our borders and baselines. Whatever your view of the president, his point was straightforward — the island’s geography and resources make it too important to ignore, and our strategy must reflect that reality.
The practical reality is stark: Pituffik (formerly Thule) and the Greenlandic approaches are a front line for North American defense, not a sideshow. We should welcome Danish investments, but the United States must not be content with observers and good will; we should be expanding permanent logistics, surveillance, and rapid-reaction capability so no rival power treats the Arctic as a vacuum.
Some in Washington will clap politely while Europe shuffles its deck chairs. Patriots cannot accept that. Denmark’s recent steps to make room for U.S. basing arrangements show common sense and an opening for cooperation — but only if America seizes it with the seriousness the Arctic deserves.
Hardworking Americans want their leaders to protect the homeland and project strength, not savor diplomatic niceties while strategic gaps widen. If our politicians truly love this country, they will turn words about Greenland into force-multiplying policy: funded bases, improved Arctic logistics, and unambiguous American leadership that tells Moscow and Beijing this hemisphere is off-limits.
