Editorial: US must secure Arctic through cooperation

The Detroit News, The Detroit News on Jan 8, 2026

Published in Op Eds

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Securing the Arctic region against the likes of China and Russia is a vital national security goal — and something NATO nations must prioritize as northern shipping lanes open up due to melting Arctic sea ice. But changes shouldn't come by American force or demand.

President Donald Trump has been talking about annexing Greenland for the past year. Following the U.S. military operation that seized Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro last week, the Trump administration has floated threats against other countries, particularly Cuba.

Taking Greenland — a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a U.S. ally and founding NATO member — has again been floated as a possibility.

Last weekend, Trump told reporters the U.S. “needs” Greenland. On Monday, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller reiterated that it is the “formal position” of the administration that Greenland should be part of the U.S.

In response, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that an American attack on Greenland would effectively end NATO and the globe’s relative post-World War II security. Other NATO members added their concerns that annexation would destabilize Europe.

That’s precisely because it would pit allies against one another.

A U.S.-sparked NATO crisis would cripple markets and make America more vulnerable by weakening deterrence against foreign powers seeking to control the region. Fundamentally, it would upend the order established by the North American Treaty Organization that has led to advancements in law, governance, human rights and prosperity throughout the world since its inception.

Trump is correct that the Arctic is becoming more strategically important. His prerogative builds on efforts in the Biden administration, which in 2022, released the National Strategy for the Arctic Region, outlining security, protection of assets and sustainable economic development as key objectives.

Melting sea ice is changing access and timelines in the area. The Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage are more accessible, reshaping global shipping patterns with major implications.

With Russia’s military buildup in the high north and expanding China-Russia cooperation, the region is becoming more tenuous. NATO leadership itself has said the alliance has a responsibility to protect itself and uphold the freedom of navigation.

The United States should certainly be leading those efforts — but not with blunt statements that imply the use of force against longstanding allies.

Rightly securing the Arctic region for the Western Hemisphere and NATO nations will require deft diplomacy. “Walk softly, and carry a big stick,” as President Theodore Roosevelt put it.

To do so with the force of the U.S. military would break an alliance that has helped maintain peace and stability for the better part of a century.

A more responsible approach would be to stop threatening friends and start working with them to build a plan around deterrence, infrastructure and governance.

Geographically, Greenland is close to key Arctic approaches and a strategic platform for Arctic surveillance and missile warning systems. Just last year, Denmark’s parliament approved a bill to allow U.S. military bases on its soil.

The Pentagon’s 2024 Arctic Strategy emphasizes strengthening domain awareness and working through NATO to complement regional plans and exercises.

Increased shipping capacity means the U.S. and its allies must build more ice-ready vessels for both logistics and security.

The U.S. should lean into more joint exercises that signal a strong, united defense of the region to thwart any growing sense of dominance from Russia and China.

Trying to take Greenland by force would be a moral disgrace and a strategic unforced error, shredding NATO and making the Arctic less secure in the long run.

America needs to lead NATO in building a posture strong enough to deter malicious regimes and bolster the security of Western nations. It needs to do so without turning the region into a chaos zone or committing unforced errors.