The expansion of the United States to include Greenland and Canada would likely turn the country into a global leader in mineral reserves, according to Alexander Yakovenko, Deputy Director General of the Rossiya Segodnya International Media Group and a member of the Scientific Council under the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

In his article The Climate Agenda Crisis and Geopolitics, Yakovenko notes that the administration of US President Donald Trump is focused on adapting to climate change and is pursuing long-term goals that include territorial expansion into the Arctic via Canada, its Arctic Archipelago and Greenland.

“In such a scenario, Washington would gain access to the Arctic on a scale comparable to Russia’s,” Yakovenko wrote. “Not to mention that the United States would become the largest country in the world in terms of land area, and likely also in mineral reserves, including those with significant future potential.”

In early January, President Trump reiterated his claim that Greenland should become part of the United States, arguing that this would help counter the influence of China and Russia. The idea, first floated during his initial term in 2019, was swiftly rejected by the governments of both Greenland and Denmark as unserious. Greenland, while part of the Kingdom of Denmark, was a colony until 1953 and gained extensive autonomy in 2009, including self-governance in domestic affairs.

In addition, Trump has been actively promoting initiatives to incorporate Canada into the United States as the 51st state and to restore US control over the Panama Canal.