US military has a long history in Greenland, from mining during WWII to a nuclear-powered Army base built into the ice

History also shows that many of the fanciful engineering ideas for Greenland failed because they misjudged the island’s harsh climate and dynamic ice sheet.

By: Paul Bierman, University of Vermont, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 14, 2026

Words: 1,435

Last Updated: 2 months ago

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By Paul Bierman, University of Vermont

President Donald Trump’s insistence that the U.S. will acquire Greenland “whether they like it or not” is just the latest chapter in a co-dependent and often complicated relationship between America and the Arctic’s largest island – one that stretches back more than a century.

Americans have long pursued policies in Greenland that U.S. leaders considered strategic and economic imperatives. As I recounted in my 2024 book, “

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