Trump's Greenland grab is part of a new space race – and the stakes are getting higher

A white geodesic dome sits on top of a circular concrete base surrounded by snow under a cloudy blue sky.

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

US President Donald Trump's position on Greenland has shifted almost daily, from threats to take it by force to assurances he won't. But one thing remains consistent: his insistence the Arctic island is strategically vital to the United States.