[Goose]

https://www.twz.com/sea/greenland-absolu...-in-europe

Of course, one might ask what is "new" about the existence of the GIUK gap and its strategic importance. The answer of course is nothing. The landmasses involved are not important either, unless one counts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_...n_Keflavik. We (insanely stupidly after just completing a major upgrade) closed the base because with the cold war over we obviously didn't need it anymore :-). We of course reopened it at additional expense later.  The US and NATO "fought" the entire cold war without the necessity of land-based support from Greenland. Actually, the GIUK gap is the second line of defense against Russian submarines. We try to attach a tail in the Norwegian sea whenever we can.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIUK_gap discusses the long history of this seaway in military history. The Bismarck was initially intercepted in the GIUK gap. The link also points out that Russia no longer has to deploy its offensive strategic assets into the Atlantic via the GIUK gap. The Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea are "good enough". That was actually the case by the end of the Cold War. Russia does want to deny the use of the GIUK gap for traffic in the other direction however.

[Goose]

https://www.twz.com/sea/greenland-absolu...-in-europe

Of course, one might ask what is "new" about the existence of the GIUK gap and its strategic importance. The answer of course is nothing. The landmasses involved are not important either, unless one counts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_...n_Keflavik. We (insanely stupidly after just completing a major upgrade) closed the base because with the cold war over we obviously didn't need it anymore :-). We of course reopened it at additional expense later.  The US and NATO "fought" the entire cold war without the necessity of land-based support from Greenland. Actually, the GIUK gap is the second line of defense against Russian submarines. We try to attach a tail in the Norwegian sea whenever we can.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIUK_gap discusses the long history of this seaway in military history. The Bismarck was initially intercepted in the GIUK gap. The link also points out that Russia no longer has to deploy its offensive strategic assets into the Atlantic via the GIUK gap. The Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea are "good enough". That was actually the case by the end of the Cold War. Russia does want to deny the use of the GIUK gap for traffic in the other direction however.