US envoy calls for renewed military presence in Greenland

Jeff Landry, the US special envoy to Greenland, stated on Wednesday that Washington must rebuild its presence on the Arctic island, which President Donald Trump has repeatedly sought to control. During his first visit since his appointment in December 2025—despite not being officially invited—Landry emphasized the need for the US to "put its footprint back on Greenland." At the height of the Cold War, the US operated 17 military facilities in Greenland but has since closed all but one, the Pituffik base in the north. Trump argues that controlling Greenland is essential for national security, citing risks of the island falling into Chinese or Russian hands. Greenland lies on the shortest missile route between Russia and the US and is believed to hold untapped rare earth minerals, while melting polar ice opens new shipping routes. Landry noted that Trump is discussing increasing national security operations and repopulating certain bases in Greenland.