"I think he's identified a lot of the right security issues - that there is increasing maritime traffic up there, including Russia and China, and a lot of interest of those countries. We have actually withdrawn American forces and military presence over the decades. During the Cold War, we used to have about 6,000 people there and about 17 bases. Now we've got one and about 150 people. So past U.S. administrations - not Denmark and not Greenland, but past U.S. administrations pulled us out."
"And I want to understand this also just to make sure that I'm not assuming too much. NATO says that an attack on one NATO nation is an attack on them all. Does that mean that if the Russians, the Chinese suddenly attacked Greenland, they would know - that would be a trip wire and it would create a war against the United States? VOLKER: That's right. That's exactly what that means,"
Greenland's Arctic location is strategically important because of increasing maritime traffic and growing interest from Russia and China. American military presence in Greenland has declined from roughly 6,000 personnel and 17 bases during the Cold War to about 150 personnel and one base today. The United States withdrew forces and reduced its footprint over decades. A 1951 treaty with Denmark contains broad language permitting the United States to take military actions to defend Greenland and North America. NATO's collective defense clause treats an attack on one member as an attack on all, making an attack on Greenland a potential trigger for allied response.
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