Greenland and Arctic Security: Separating Fact from Fiction

Greenland is at the center of major American and European news. President Trump wants to own the ice island. Denmark is the administrative power. Greenlanders want to be independent, but with close ties with both Washington and Copenhagen. Trump's demands for the island are at odds with all of Europe and with the wishes of the island's inhabitants.  What are the security realities in the Arctic? What is America's role in protecting the island? How does Denmark fit in? Are Russian and Chinese ships actually a menacing threat, or is the reality a bit more nuanced? 

 

Join FPRI for a private, members-only briefing with Dr. Rebecca Pincus, FPRI Senior Fellow, and Dr. Aaron Stein, FPRI's President. Becca was previously the Director of the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center, and served on the faculty at the US Naval War College, in the Center for Naval Warfare Studies, where her research focused on Arctic security and geopolitics. 

 

She also worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, as Arctic and Climate Strategy Advisor. In 2015, she was a Fulbright Fellow in Iceland, conducting research on Arctic small states and security. She also worked on polar strategy and policy issues for the US Coast Guard, at its Center for Arctic Study and Policy, and served on the faculty at the US Coast Guard Academy.