Pentagon plans to add Greenland to its Northern Command Zone
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The US plans to shift Greenland under Northern Command control, raising NATO concerns and signaling increased Arctic intelligence and missile defense efforts.
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Vice President JD Vance arrives to speak at the US military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP)
The US Defense Department is reportedly planning to incorporate Greenland into the operational zone of the US Northern Command (NORTHCOM), according to sources cited by Politico.
Greenland may soon be removed from the US European Command’s (EUCOM) zone of responsibility, with the decision potentially happening as early as this week, a move that could lead to objections from Denmark and other NATO allies, according to the Politico report.
A source familiar with the matter explained that while the decision aligns logically with geographical considerations, it could raise political concerns in Europe, while another source indicated that the US had not informed the Danish government about its intentions.
The report noted that since the Northern Command oversees the defense of North America, transferring jurisdiction over Greenland could potentially enable the US to expand its Golden Dome missile defense shield by installing additional radars on the island.
This follows a May 7 report by the Wall Street Journal, which detailed how the United States is stepping up its intelligence efforts in Greenland, as Trump continues to ogle the island for his own taking.
US ramps up intelligence-gathering in Greenland
According to the WSJ, senior officials within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, led by Tulsi Gabbard, recently circulated a directive instructing US intelligence agencies to prioritize gathering information on Greenland's growing independence movement and public sentiment regarding potential American involvement in the region's natural resource development.
The US reportedly ordered its intelligence agencies to find Greenlandic and Danish allies who back American interests, signaling the first real steps toward Trump’s push to acquire the island by deal or force.
The WSJ reported that the directive serves to realign intelligence priorities and allocate resources toward strategically significant targets, marking a notable change in the US intelligence approach to the Arctic, a region that has historically received limited attention from Washington.
The WSJ explains that the directive functions as a mechanism for focusing intelligence efforts and shifting assets toward key strategic objectives, reflecting a broader change in the US intelligence community's stance on the Arctic, an area that has traditionally seen relatively little engagement from American policymakers.
NSC spokesperson James Hewitt sidestepped intelligence details but reiterated US concerns over Arctic security, while DNI Tulsi Gabbard blasted the outlet for allegedly aiding deep state efforts to leak classified info and undermine the administration, the WSJ said.
