On the Record On Greenland and U.S. Strategic Interests in the Arctic
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Jan 23, 2026 
Heather A. Conley, a former president of the German Marshall Fund, Rebecca Pincus, an Arctic policy expert, and Geoffrey Pyatt, a former U.S. ambassador, delve into Denmark's Greenland and its strategic significance to U.S. national security. They discuss the geopolitical implications of Trump's interest in the area, including Arctic missile defense and rising threats from Russia and China. The experts also evaluate Greenland's critical minerals, the infrastructure challenges for mining, and the potential risks to NATO unity from increased tensions.
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Minerals Need Patience
- Critical-minerals focus is valid but slow: mining projects typically take a decade to reach production.
- Geoffrey Pyatt stresses partnerships and multilateral supply-chain work rather than unilateral rushes.
Partner To De‑risk China
- Build international partnerships to reduce China dependency instead of pursuing exclusive domestic grabs.
- Pyatt urges negotiating allied agreements and leveraging the Mineral Security Partnership model.
Greenland's Limited Missile Role
- Greenland is part of NORAD early-warning but doesn't uniquely enable Golden Dome or interceptor placement.
- Rebecca Pincus finds the technical case for Greenland-based interceptors unpersuasive and diplomatically fraught.