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In January it sounded strongly and since then there is no week that the idea is not reproduced: United States Groenland wants. We explain that we are not really new, and that when Trump said wanting to take control of the enclave it was The fifth time in the history that the United States “touched” at the door of the island. However, there is now a difference with respect to other attempts. Greenland has something that makes it a strategic zone “for what can happen.”
Russian and Chinese threat. Greenland has become A critical point For the national security of the United States, and although much has been commented, it is not mainly for economic or symbolic reasons, but for Its strategic position in the fight against the progress of Russian or eventually Chinese submarines. In fact, this has been confirmed through General Christopher G. Cavoli, Supreme Commander of NATO in Europe and head of the US European command.
The man declared before the Senate Armed Services Committee that access to the airspace and maritime of Greenlandia It is fundamental To detect and follow the track of the Russian submarines before they are lost in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. The island is part of the western edge of the Giuk gap (Greenland-Islandia-Reinian Reino), a vital corridor through which the Russian underwater fleet from Murmansk, home of the most advanced naves of the Kremlin, such as class submersibles, such as class submersibles, such as class submersible Yasen-mequipped with long -range cruise missiles.
The giuk gap. This corridor is a strangulation point Maritime that, if not properly watched, allows Russian or Chinese submarines operate without being detected In the North Atlantic. Once they cross the gap, its location becomes extremely difficult, both because of the acoustic conditions of the underwater terrain and by the oceanic vastness. Thus, from these hidden positions they can launch missile attacks against strategic objectives On the east coast of the American continent.
In fact and in response to this, the United States formed in 2021 the so -called Task Group Greyhounda specialized group of anti -submarine destroyers Designed to counteract This specific threat. The American navy itself warned at the time that the east coast of the country already It was not a safe shelterunderlining the urgency of establishing surveillance and defense points in key areas such as Greenland.
Map of the Giuk Via of the Cold War (still relevant)
The Russian answer. For their part, they counted the The War Zone analysts that Russia has proven to know very well the value of this corridor. In 2019, he organized his greatest naval exercise since the Cold War, sending at least ten submarines through the completely submerged Giuk gap, with the aim of reaching the Atlantic without being intercepted.
According to Norwegian mediathe intention was clear: to prove the capacity of the West to detect movements of his fleet and demonstrate that he could project power to the US coast. These exercises also fulfill a fund growing territorial presence.
Advanced control point. The island of Goenland, with only 320 km of separation from Iceland, constitutes a natural bottleneck inside the Giuk. This proximity allows its use as an advanced basis for anti -submarine operations. Although the United States already has the base of the space force In Pituffik (Antigua Thule), equipped with early alert radars against ballistic attacks, General Cavoli suggests that it would be strategically advantageous to expand military capabilities in other areas of the island.
Under this prism, the simple possibility that Russia or China can establish military facilities in Greenland represents an unacceptable risk: from there, they could deploy weapons of intercontinental reach only 2,000 km from the US territory.
A Yasen-M class
Diplomatic tension With this context we arrive at the news of these days. General Cavoli’s statements occur in a political high voltage environment between the United States and Denmark, Sovereign Nation on Greenland. The renewed Donald Trump’s insistence In acquiring the island, it has revived a diplomatic conflict dating from its first mandate.
Plus: the Recent visit of vice president JD Vance to Island caused a strong rejection by local and Danish authorities, who met to stage your unit Faced with US desires for annexation. At the same time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio moved to Denmark to calm the situation and reaffirm the strength of the bilateral relationship, although tensions remain latent.
One More Thing. While the persecution of Russian submarines is the central axis of the strategy, there is much more. To begin with, Greenland also offers other military advantages: its radar infrastructure It allows early detection of ballistic releases, which gives the US government additional time to respond to an attack.
In addition, its position at the northwest of the Atlantic makes it a crucial logistics point within the framework of any Arctic or Intercontinental conflict. Although Iceland already houses American anti -submarine aircraft squads that cover the Giuk gap, Greenland could offer redundancy, extended reach and greater operational flexibility.
Geopolitics in the ice. So things, and while the debate persists on whether the United States really needs Acquire Greenland Or simply reinforce its presence in the area, the truth is that the island has ceased to be a remote block of ice to become a strategic focus of the first order. The growing Arctic militarizationthe resurgence of Russian naval power and The global competition For the control of polar routes they place Greenland in the center of a new geopolitical board.
Its value does not reside in its demography, economy or tourist attraction, but in its ability to influence the balance of power between rival powers. In times of submarine cold war, every kilometer of coast vigilated is worth its weight in gold, and Greenland, today more than ever, he tells much.
Image | PicrylRussian Navy, миноборонloy
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