Latest news with #PituffikSpaceBase
CBS News
4 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Trump administration plans to move Greenland from U.S. European Command to Northern Command
Inside Greenland: residents say they're not for sale, but they are open for business The Trump administration is planning to move Greenland from the purview of U.S. European Command to U.S. Northern Command, several U.S. officials told CBS News. Moving Greenland to Northern Command, which is in charge of defending the homeland, is a symbolic statement suggesting a view of Greenland as more a part of the defense of the U.S. than of Europe. In the eyes of the U.S., the move treats Greenland more like Canada and less like a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Top Trump officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have pressed Greenland to break from Denmark and come under the security umbrella of the United States, sources said. Vance visited the Pituffik Space Base in March and blasted Denmark's management of Greenland, accusing it of underinvesting in Greenland's people and security architecture. The space base is equipped with a warning system to detect incoming missiles, and the Pentagon sees Greenland as critical to national security. U.S. European Command includes Europe, Russia and Greenland. U.S. Northern Command is responsible for the defense of the continental U.S. and Alaska, in coordination with Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas. President Trump hasn't given up on the idea of acquiring Greenland, which he and other top officials see as key to U.S. national security. When Vance visited in March, Mr. Trump said, "We have to have Greenland." The president has also expressed an interest in Greenland because of its rare earth minerals, which are needed in electronics like cell phones and electric cars. "We will make you rich, and together, we will take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before," Mr. Trump said in his March address to a joint session of Congress. But the vast majority of Greenlanders don't want to join the U.S., according to what little polling exists. Its population of about 56,000 is concentrated along the southern coast, and most of the country is covered in ice.
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Pentagon to change stance on Greenland
The Pentagon is preparing to make a 'symbolic and operational split' between Greenland and Denmark by reassigning the Arctic island's command jurisdiction, Politico has reported. Greenland would thus be moved from the European Command (EUCOM) to the Northern Command (NORTHCOM), whereas Denmark would remain in the former, according to the outlet. The change, which is part of a broader review of the Unified Command Plan, would elevate Greenland's priority in defense planning at the Pentagon and White House. 'From the perspective of geography, the move makes some sense,' one official told Politico. 'From a political perspective, however, this clearly is going to worry Europe.' Greenland, an autonomous territory within Denmark, is geographically closer to North America than to Europe – just 26 kilometers from Canada, but over 2,000 from Denmark. The US already maintains a major military outpost at Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, which was established in 1951 under a Cold War-era agreement. The base supports missile tracking and space surveillance, and now serves as a key node in Washington's expanding missile defense ambitions. Framing Greenland as a strategic asset, US officials have justified the shift as necessary to counter rival powers. 'We need to ensure that America is leading in the Arctic,' Vice President J.D. Vance previously said, citing Russian and Chinese activity. According to Politico, the reassignment would also support expansion of the Golden Dome — a global missile shield announced by President Donald Trump last month and estimated to cost hundreds of billions of dollars. The system would aim to intercept threats from anywhere on Earth or space. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has called the initiative a 'reckless approach' that undermines global stability. In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Arctic holds vast potential for trade and resource extraction. While stressing that 'Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic,' he warned that geopolitical rivalry in the region is escalating, citing Washington's 'serious plans regarding Greenland.'
