US to boost aid to Greenland in bid to counter Russia, China

The Trump administration is poised to announce an expanded diplomatic presence in Greenland and a new assistance package for the vast island aimed at thwarting growing Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic.

The announcement, expected on Thursday, will come less than a year after President Donald Trump drew derision for expressing an interest in buying Greenland.

Already, suggestions of a greater US presence in Greenland have been met with criticism in Denmark, of which the island is part.

US and European officials say the administration, along with Greenland's government, will announce the opening of a US Agency for International Development office at the new American consulate in the capital, Nuuk, and at least USD 12 million in new aid projects.

The American ambassador to Denmark, Carla Sands, previewed the announcement when she wrote in an online publication this week that the United States could offer a substantial package of economic aid to Greenland and would be the preferred partner in the Arctic."