The small town in western Greenland, Kangerlussuaq, with the U.S. military base since 1941, has once again been thrust into the global spotlight as U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to take over the autonomous Arctic island of Denmark, even by force.
Kangerlussuaq had nothing before World War II. There were only tundra, glaciers, and Inuit hunters occasionally passing through. In 1941, as Denmark fell under German occupation, the United States struck a deal with the Danish government and sent forces to the territory at scale for the first time under the pretext of "defending Greenland."
Kangerlussuaq was chosen for its favorable terrain and stable weather as the site of the U.S. military base Bluie West-8, later known as Sondrestrom Air Base. It served as a vital air transport hub and refueling station during World War II and the Cold War.
Kangerlussuaq was transformed overnight from barren wilderness into a military frontline. During the Cold War, Kangerlussuaq's airfield became a critical logistical hub connecting the U.S. homeland to Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland and delivering personnel, supplies, and radar equipment to the Arctic. This settlement was built into the very architecture of global confrontation.
"This used to be a big military base and was mainly for use for the due line. This is from the Cold War, when the Americans had the radar sites stretching all the way from Alaska and all the way over to Greenland. It's not an original Greenlandic settlement. This is not a place where people used to live. This was built just for a purpose: the military airport. But when the military base was built in Pituffik, they had forcefully removed some people, and it still hurts them when you talk about it today," said Jan Ingvar, a local resident.
In the 1990s, with the Cold War over, the United States began scaling back its military presence in Greenland. In 1992, the Kangerlussuaq base was officially handed over for civilian use. The commander's office was transformed into a museum.
Kangerlussuaq stands today as a quiet monument to a bygone era. But as great power competition returns to the Arctic, its history may no longer be just a memory but a prelude to Washington's renewed push for a military footprint in the region and its new strategic contest over Greenland's resources.
"The Americans had 15,000 to 18,000 soldiers stationed on Greenland during the Cold War. They had various bases. Today, they have one base and 150 soldiers there. Tomorrow, they could send another 10,000 soldiers under the agreement with Denmark. So if the reason he's giving security, he could do everything to live up to that. But he doesn't have to own it," said Heinrich Kreft, former German ambassador to Luxembourg.
Greenlandic town Kangerlussuaq brought into global spotlight amid Trump's threat
Greenlandic town Kangerlussuaq brought into global spotlight amid Trump's threat
