US President Donald Trump said American control of Greenland was “vital” to the Golden Dome defense system and argued it was necessary for US national security and NATO effectiveness.“The United States needs Greenland for national security purposes. It is critical to the Golden Dome we are building,” Trump, who has vowed to seize the Arctic island from ally Denmark, wrote on social media.“NATO will be far more formidable and effective if Greenland is in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable.”Is Trump’s obsession with making Greenland the 51st state of the United States related to his Golden Dome, a $175 billion multi-layered missile defense system?And the answer is yes. Greenland’s importance to the Golden Dome lies in its geography, its space infrastructure, its rocket flight paths and its dominance in the Arctic, not just its politics or raw materials.Missile routes cross GreenlandGreenland, located between the United States and Russia, has been described as an area of high strategic importance to the Americans and to Arctic security and an area known for untapped resources, from oil and gas reserves to important mineral deposits, the Eurasian Times reported.Russian ballistic missiles aimed at the United States would likely fly over Greenland because the shortest route is through the Arctic. This makes Greenland an ideal location for early detection, tracking and interception of missiles. Missile defense works best when sensors and interceptor missiles are positioned close to the missile’s trajectory.Greenland is home to important U.S. space resourcesGreenland is home to Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base. It is now part of the US Space Force. The base supports missile warning radars, satellite tracking and space surveillance. The Golden Dome relies on these space-based systems, not just ground defenses.The Arctic is crucial for the control of spaceSatellites in polar orbit fly over the Far North several times a day. Greenland is one of the best locations on Earth to control satellites, relay data and coordinate space-based missile defense. Experts say it is the second largest country after Svalbard in Norway – but according to the Eurasian Times it is closer to the US and easier to protect.China and Russia are raising the stakesRussia is militarizing the Arctic and China is expanding its influence there. Both are developing anti-satellite weapons and long-range missiles. The Golden Dome is designed to counter this combined threat from the north and space.
