OP-ED: Greenland Is Nice, but Alaska Is Better

01.15.25

There's been a lot of talk about President-elect Trump's idea of buying Greenland. But one U.S. state offers all of Greenland's benefits: Alaska. The problem is that the Biden administration has spent its time trying to turn the Last Frontier into a giant national park rather than recognizing it as a great strategic asset.

Greenland would provide the U.S. a gateway to the Arctic. But America is already an Arctic nation thanks to Alaska. The Russians and Chinese know my state is at the forefront of great-power competition. In the past two years, there have been 12 air incursions into the state's air-defense identification zone, including an unprecedented joint Russian-Chinese strategic bomber operation, and large-scale joint Russian-Chinese naval task forces in our waters.

Greenland plays an important part in missile-defense and early-warning networks, but the cornerstone of America's missile defense is Alaska. Any missiles launched by Russia, China or North Korea against the U.S. would likely fly over the state. That's why it hosts the vast majority of America's radar systems and ground-based missile interceptors. To create an Iron Dome for America-a priority of Mr. Trump-we need to add to our national ballistic-missile interceptor capability in Alaska and build a robust layered missile defense and space-based missile sensor capability.

Greenland is rich in minerals and energy reserves. Alaska is even richer. Our state holds an estimated 40 billion barrels of oil and roughly 235 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. In one field alone, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska reinjects into a reservoir for oil-production purposes as much natural gas each day as Oregon, Washington and California consume.

Alaska also has a wealth of metals and other minerals, some of which are essential for our national defense, economy and renewable-energy sector. President Biden worked to keep them in the ground. The first Trump administration approved a road needed to access one of America's richest mineral deposits, the Ambler Mining District in Alaska's Interior. The Biden administration killed that road last June. Then Mr. Biden traveled to Angola to announce $600 million to build a railroad to help that country market its critical minerals.

Buy Greenland? Sure, if the price is right and the Danes are willing to sell. But as Mr. Trump prepares to unleash Alaska's potential again, it's worth remembering what the father of the U.S. Air Force, Gen. Billy Mitchell, once said: "I believe . . . whoever controls Alaska controls the world. I think it is the most strategic place in the world."

Mr. Sullivan, a Republican, is a U.S. senator from Alaska.

By: Sen. Dan Sullivan
Source: Wall Street Journal

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