The Northwest Passage was the great obsession of European explorers for centuries. Finding a path that would connect the Pacific and Atlantic oceans without having to skirt America was a tempting economic, military and political objective. The new president of the United States, Donald Trump, wants to revive this step to create trade routes that connect Asia and Europe. To do this, he has a plan: annex Canada and buy Greenland from Denmark.
The current Northwest Passage is not as shiny as the obsession of adventurous sailors. The route allows sailing between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, crossing the Arctic. The high latitudes and the difficulty of crossing the Bering Straits (between Alaska and Siberia) and Davis Straits (between Canada and Greenland) have made it impossible to create stable trade routes if not bordering the Canadian (or Siberian) coast and using icebreakers. Climate change will change that situation and Trump knows it.
Arctic maritime highways
Donald Trump’s expansionist desires have led him to flirt with an idea: what if Washington controlled all of North America? In his first term, he offered Denmark to buy Greenland – an idea that he has repeated again – and, after the resignation of Justin Trudeau, he has reiterated the invitation for Canadians to join the United States.
If these two ideas were to materialize—a matter of unlikely timing—the new nation would have more than 20 million square kilometers and a continued presence in three oceans: Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific. If the Canadian provinces and Greenland were integrated as states, Washington would control an empire of 64 states and almost 400 million people. It would be the largest country in the world, twice the size of Europe.
Currently, the United States is made up of 50 states and some territories, with Alaska being its northernmost possession and one of the most valuable due to its strategic position (less than 100 km from Russia) and its natural resources. But Trump wants more: from the oil fields of Alberta to the financial centers of Quebec and the minerals of Greenland, everything is not enough for the New York real estate magnate. However, the attractions of Canada and Greenland do not lie only on land.
Routes that avoid Panama and Egypt
Climate change is allowing us to dream of opening a new commercial passage that until now had been frozen. The progressive melting of the Arctic will mean that, starting in the following decade, it will be possible to navigate the northern ocean for up to two months a year. By the middle of this century, ships will be able to ply the Earth’s northern waters for up to six months a year without the need for icebreakers.
The first to be aware of this potential has been Russia, which uses its Siberian ports to export oil and gas to the rest of the world, particularly to China and India. Moscow’s traditional pro-Arctic policy, with a huge fleet of icebreakers and ships adapted to difficult weather conditions, has led the country to be a power in one of the last frontiers on the planet.
Routes through the Arctic have two advantages: they reduce the duration of crossings by up to 30% and allow us to avoid places such as the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal, which in recent times have become impassable due to conflicts and drought. . The diversion of maritime traffic through the Cape of Good Hope and the Strait of Magellan has made trade routes between Europe and Asia more expensive and longer, so a “maritime highway” through the Arctic is seen as a plausible option in the coming years. years.
Trump’s announcements to buy Greenland and invite Canada to join pursue the goal of aligning American interests in the Arctic with those of other Arctic actors. The Pentagon has stressed on several occasions the strategic and commercial importance of the Arctic for the United States. In fact, the US military maintains an air base in western Greenland.
Although Ottawa and Nuuk remain independent of US rule, it is not ruled out that Trump will force agreements with those countries to guarantee the passage of US ships and other related nationalities. Washington’s influence in countries like Canada or Denmark (owner of Greenland) is greater than they are willing to admit. The announcement of tariffs on Canada of 25% of its goods led the Canadian Finance Minister to resign and triggered the definitive fall of Trudeau after accusing him of using “political games.”
Instead of charging Egypt or Panama the toll, the United States (and Russia) will hold the key to global trade. A situation that would leave Trump’s archenemy: China in a vulnerable position.
Trump’s plan for the US to become the largest country in the world