In the new PRIF Working Paper No. 71, titled „The Case of Greenland: Peace and Security in the Arctic“, Olena Podvorna analyzes how Greenland’s security thinking and policy have evolved over the past four years. Against the backdrop of Greenland’s long-standing quest for full independence from Denmark, the study reveals that Greenland’s dream of sovereignty has long become a pawn in the geopolitical rivalry in the Arctic. This shift into the spotlight was particularly accelerated by former US President Donald Trump’s intense interest in purchasing Greenland, placing the island at the center of the global competition for influence in the Arctic.
Podvorna examines how Greenland constructs, projects, and maintains its own narrative about the region’s future. The analysis highlights how this narrative is evolving and transforming in response to rapid changes and the influence of three key actors—Denmark, the United States, and China. Greenland’s path to independence is not merely an internal matter but a reflection of global power dynamics, with far-reaching consequences for the Arctic’s future.
The working paper also places special emphasis on Germany’s ongoing interest in the Arctic. The challenge of maintaining the region as an area of low tension remains one of the most pressing issues.
About the author: Dr. Olena Podvorna was a Senior Researcher in PRIF’s Research Department International Institutions from 2023 to 2025. Her research interests include, inter alia, Arctic Security, NATO, and Ukraine’s foreign policy. The working paper was written as part of her research project “A New Role for NATO in the High North? The European Arctic and Russia’s War Against Ukraine”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
The working paper is available for download (pdf, accessible).