Rubio Push on Greenland Delivers a Huge Diplomatic Win for US Against China
Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Reykjavík, Iceland, following a recently secured deal with the Kingdom of Denmark concerning Greenland. The agreement gives Washington the authority to block non-NATO commercial and military presence in Greenland, a direct role in screening foreign investment in critical sectors, overflight, missile defense access and unrestricted undersea access across Greenland's territorial waters. After Rubio's discussions with the Panamanians, a Panamanian court ruled that the contract to operate the container terminals at the canal's Pacific and Atlantic entrances violated the constitution, and it ended the contract.
Why it matters: The commentary presents the Greenland and Panama outcomes as gains in great-power competition, in which control of sea lanes and Arctic shipping routes carries leverage over trade, resources and power projection.