đ·đș Russian President Vladimir Putin has stirred the pot, saying he âunderstandsâ why the U.S. wants Greenland, according to envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Moscow reportedly views the island not as political noiseâbut as a critical Arctic gateway with massive strategic value.
Why this matters:
Arctic choke point: Greenland controls emerging Arctic shipping lanes that could cut AsiaâEurope transit times by up to 40%, plus vast rare-earth reserves (neodymium, dysprosium, uranium) vital for tech and defense.
U.S. footprint: America already operates the Thule (Pituffik) Space Base, a key missile-warning and space-surveillance hub. Washington has floated options from economic leverage to harder powerâwhile Congress moves to block any forced annexation.
Firm pushback: Denmark and Greenland have rejected any sale outright, warning an attack could fracture NATO. European allies (Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden) have deployed symbolic forces to signal unity.
Russiaâs line: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Greenland is Danish territoryâbut Moscow is watching closely, citing its own Arctic security interests and escalating great-power competition.
Whatâs next? Any U.S. moveâdiplomatic, economic, or militaryâcould spark a NATO-vs-NATO crisis and redraw Arctic alliances. The chessboard is heating up. đ
