Geography and Historical US Interest

Is four months too short a turnaround for a guest on Midrats? Not if the topic at hand keeps running to the top of your read board.

From the unending diplomacy responding to the Trump Administration’s unending drive to get Greenland’s geography—and the resulting security—more firmly under American control, to the sitcom-worthy deployment of a couple of dozen “Coalition of the Freezing”—Greenland can’t-stop-won’t-stop from gathering eyeballs and attention.

So, we’re bringing back Elizabeth Buchanan for another visit. We’ll use her recent article in The Spectator as starting off point, A buyer’s guide to Greenland.

Dr. Elizabeth Buchanan is a senior fellow with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and an expert associate of the French Ministry of Armed Forces’ Institute for Strategic Research.Most recently she was Head of Research for the Royal Australian Navy (Department of Defence). Dr Buchanan is co-founder of the polar warfare program (Project 6633) at the Modern War Institute of the West Point Military Academy. Before joining Australia’s Defence Department, Dr. Buchanan was Lecturer of Strategic Studies for the Defence and Strategic Studies Course at the Australian War College.Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. in Russian Arctic Strategy and completed her post-doctoral studies as a Maritime Fellow at the NATO Defense College in Rome. She has published widely on geopolitics, most recently with Australian Foreign Affairs, International Affairs, War on the Rocks, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, The Australian, and The American Conservative.Dr. Buchanan has been a Visiting Scholar with the Brookings Institution and was an analyst with Royal Dutch Shell. Elizabeth has three published books:: Russian Energy Strategy in Asia and Red Arctic: Russian Arctic Strategy under Putin. In addition to, So you want to own Greenland, she also has an upcoming book, Competitive Cooperation at the Ends of the Earth.

Show links:

• So You Want to Own Greenland?: Lessons from the Vikings to Trump.
• Liz’s SEP 2024 visit to Midrats.
• The Unfortunate Greenland Kerfuffle.
• Denmark’s strategic concerns about China and Russia around Greenland, via Nick Solheim.
• Liz on X.

Summary

In this episode of Midrats, the hosts welcome back Dr. Elizabeth Buchanan, a senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and Center for the National Interest, to discuss the ongoing geopolitical significance of Greenland. The conversation delves into the historical context of U.S.-Greenland relations, particularly in light of recent tensions and discussions surrounding Greenland’s potential independence. Dr. Buchanan emphasizes the importance of understanding Greenland’s strategic position in the Arctic, especially regarding U.S. national security interests and the implications of a changing global landscape, including China’s growing influence. The dialogue also touches on the complexities of Greenland’s relationship with Denmark and the potential for a direct U.S.-Greenland partnership.

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Overview of Greenland’s Importance
02:38: Historical Context of U.S.-Greenland Relations
05:52: The 2004 Defense Treaty and Its Implications
12:23: Greenland’s Independence Movement and Future Prospects
31:50: Best Case Scenarios for U.S.-Greenland Relations
32:17: Understanding the Scrappy Spirit of Greenland
39:12: The Geopolitical Landscape: Europe and the U.S.
54:31: Greenland’s Future: Independence or Status Quo?