Trump faces radioactive time bomb beneath Greenland's ice

Hidden deep within Greenland's icy wilderness lies a radioactive secret that could pose a problem for Donald Trump if he follows through on his threat to take control of the vast Arctic island.

This secret is known as Camp Century, an American military base constructed in 1959 during the Cold War, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The base was part of an effort to build nuclear launch sites capable of withstanding a Russian attack. The project, which involved creating tunnels through Greenland’s ice sheet and was powered by a small nuclear reactor, was abandoned in 1967 after being deemed unviable due to the shifting ice.

Although the Americans dismantled the reactor and removed its nuclear reaction chamber when they left in 1967, they left behind thousands of tons of waste and debris, including radioactive residue, buried beneath the icecap, presumably forever. 

However, due to climate change, that "forever" might come much sooner than expected. As the planet warms, Camp Century — located in one of the most remote areas on Earth, about 1,500 kilometers north of Nuuk, Greenland's capital — has become the subject of renewed concern and speculation about how long it will remain sealed under ice.

A significant study published in 2016 warned that the remnants of the abandoned base could be exposed by melting ice and snow by the end of the 21st century. “Our study highlights that Camp Century now possesses unanticipated political significance in light of anthropogenic climate change,” the researchers wrote (though they later revised their findings in 2021 to rule out the base reemerging from the ice until at least 2100). The revelation sparked a political controversy in Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory since 1979. 

Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vittus Qujaukitsoq called on Denmark to take responsibility for cleaning up the debris from abandoned US military bases in Greenland, of which there are between 20 and 30, mostly unused. Greenland, which was once a colony of Denmark, never agreed to host these installations. In 2017, Nuuk and Copenhagen reached an agreement to allocate around $30 million for the cleanup of debris and waste, but Camp Century was not included in the deal. 

Greenlanders are "worried that [Camp Century] will pollute as the ice continues to melt," said Pipaluk Lynge, a member of parliament from Greenland's largest party and chair of the parliamentary foreign policy committee. However, it’s not just Camp Century, she added, pointing to other abandoned bases. 

"There are many places where they left tons of waste," she said. There are many places where [they] have left tons of dump. The US has military waste all over the Arctic.”

Trump has previously suggested that Greenland and Canada should be part of the US, while also proposing that the US take control of the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico. These statements were met with strong reactions from Canadian, Panamanian, and Danish officials.

Greenland’s strategic importance has been significant since the Cold War when it served as part of an early warning system. Trump has reiterated the island’s importance in the context of modern defense. Despite this, both Greenlandic and Danish officials have firmly rejected any notion of selling the island.

In recent years, Greenland's importance has grown as melting Arctic ice opens new shipping routes, leading to increased competition from global powers, particularly between the US and Russia. The island’s surrounding waters are rich in vital natural resources, further fueling global interest.

Currently, Denmark holds responsibility for Greenland's defence, but in recent days, Denmark has signalled openness to discussing American security needs without transferring sovereignty. Despite previous attempts to purchase the island, Greenland's residents largely viewed Trump’s proposal either as a joke or a serious threat to their sovereignty.

On December 22, 2024, Trump reiterated his stance on Greenland via Truth Social, stating, "The United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity," echoing similar comments from his first term in office.

By Naila Huseynova