The Wall Street Journal's conservative editorial board has issued a stark warning that President Donald Trump's campaign to have the United States take control of Greenland could severely backfire, with Russia and China emerging as the ultimate beneficiaries.
A Strategic Prize with Untapped Potential
The newspaper's editorial, published on Sunday, acknowledged there are legitimate strategic interests for Washington in Greenland. The board cited the island's key geographic position in the Arctic and its vast reserves of rare-earth minerals as valid reasons for American attention. These resources are critical for modern technology and defense systems.
Bullying Allies is a Flawed Strategy
However, the Journal strongly criticized the Trump administration's approach. It argued that bullying allied nations, including Denmark which governs Greenland's foreign affairs, is counterproductive. The editorial specifically noted the imposition of new tariffs on European countries that have sent troops to the island as a deterrent, framing it as a misguided tactic.
"The sad irony is that China and Russia may be the biggest winners," the board lamented. It cautioned that Trump's relentless push to "capture Greenland no matter what the locals or its Denmark owner thinks" could make a long-held Russian dream a reality: the fracturing of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance.
Shifting Alliances and Global Consequences
The editorial pointed to observable shifts in global diplomacy as a direct consequence of this aggressive posture. It noted that traditional U.S. allies, including Canada and the United Kingdom, are now pursuing closer relationships with Beijing and signing independent free-trade agreements amongst themselves, actions that sideline American influence.
This realignment, driven by a perception of U.S. unreliability, ultimately strengthens the hand of both Russia and China in the geopolitically vital Arctic region. The Wall Street Journal's warning highlights how a unilateral pursuit of territory could undermine the very alliances the U.S. relies on to counter its strategic rivals, creating a net loss for American power.
