The Smerconish Podcast Melting Ice, Rising Stakes: The Climate Reality Behind Trump’s Greenland Push
Jan 22, 2026
Heather Conley, a foreign policy and Arctic security expert at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses the changing geopolitical landscape as global temperatures rise. She highlights the strategic importance of Greenland, focusing on the increasing missile defense needs and the intensified activities of Russia and China in the region. The conversation also touches on how climate change is transforming Greenland's accessibility and resources, and questions President Trump's stance on linking these shifts to environmental issues.
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Greenland's Growing Strategic Value
- Greenland's strategic importance is rising because the Arctic shortens military and commercial distances.
- Heather Conley explains melting ice is creating new maritime, missile, and undersea vulnerabilities and opportunities.
Arctic Geography Affects Missile And Submarine Defense
- Greenland hosts critical early-warning and missile-defense geography, like Thule and Pituffik bases.
- Conley notes the Arctic's geography shortens approaches for missiles and submarines impacting North American defense.
Russian Stakes Rise In The Arctic
- Russia treats the Arctic as essential for its nuclear second-strike and submarine forces.
- Conley warns of increasing Russian submarine and hybrid activity across the region.