GREENLAND IN THE US NATIONAL DEFENCE STRATEGY 2026

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the strategic conceptualisation of Greenland in the US National Defence Strategy 2026. It examines the transformation of the United States' approach to the Arctic region in the context of growing geopolitical competition, increased military activity by the Russian Federation and the strengthening of the economic presence of the People's Republic of China. It has been established that Greenland is institutionalised in the strategy as a ‘key terrain,’ guaranteed access to which is considered a component of US territorial defence and an element of continental security in the Western Hemisphere, aligning with the "Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine". Using qualitative and quantitative content analysis of the strategy text, it was determined that the island is mentioned five times in the document in the context of ensuring military and commercial access to strategically important areas. This indicates that Greenland has been established as a structural element of modern American defence planning, particularly involving critical assets like the Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) for early warning systems. Particular attention is paid to the international consequences of this approach. The reaction of the Kingdom of Denmark, the European Union and NATO to the strengthening of the island's strategic status has been analysed. It has been found that Denmark responded by asserting its sovereign control and significantly boosting its Arctic defense spending by 12–15 billion DKK (over $1.6 billion USD) in 2026, aimed at modernizing infrastructure such as adapting civilian airports in Nuuk to support F-35 fighter jets. It is concluded that the rethinking of Greenland's role in 2026 reflects a broader process of integrating the Arctic space into national and collective security systems, which is shaping a new configuration of strategic interests in the North Atlantic.