Survival game

President Donald Trump wants Greenland, a strategic national goal for the United States. While his eyes are on the island, Russia has already overrun the Arctic. Moscow controls half of the territory above the Arctic Circle and accounts for two-thirds of the region’s GDP. The world is delighted with Trump, but the Arctic game has been going on for decades, and Russia is already at the top of this pyramid of influence.

Control over the Arctic’s maritime economic zone is firmly in Putin’s hands. More than 60 major military facilities are located here, hundreds of defensive structures. Thirty of them are Russian, and 36 are in NATO countries. We see the Kremlin investing enormous resources in modernizing its nuclear submarines, while the war in Ukraine has pushed them to improve their military capabilities in the polar expanses.

After the Cold War, the Arctic looked like a place where Russia and the West could cooperate. The Arctic Council, created in 1996, claimed common interests in biodiversity, climate and indigenous rights. But the real betrayal came during the occupation of Crimea, when Russia was expelled from the forum and, after 2022, any possibility of cooperation was destroyed.

Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO in 2023 has divided the Arctic into two dangerous zones - one under Russian control, the other under NATO control. Trump, who has repeatedly stated that the US needs Greenland to protect against Russian and Chinese aggression, is convinced that Denmark is unable to protect the island from threats.

China is not an Arctic country, but it openly demonstrates its interest. From the “Near-Arctic state” to the “Polar Silk Road” initiative, this giant is not backing down. Together with Russia, it is starting to patrol the Arctic, forcing everyone to think about its true goals.

But it’s not just security that’s drawing attention to the Arctic. The climate crisis is heating up the region faster than the rest of the world. The once-familiar logistics routes – the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage – have become new strategic gateways. Many ships now pass through them, reducing time and costs. Russia has used this situation to transport resources to circumvent sanctions.

It seems that Trump will not stop. After trying to annex Greenland in the wake of Venezuelan events, he is persistently knocking on the door - by the will of the people. An offer of a million dollars for each of the inhabitants of Greenland is able to break all stereotypes and push them to a referendum on joining the United States.

Trump, the Greenlandic government, and Denmark, against the system, against formalities. Will we really witness a new turn in this Arctic struggle? The real game has begun.

Original source: https://www.rbc.ua/