India, Jan. 14 -- US President Donald Trump has once again thrust the spotlight on Greenland as he has pointed out the crucial place the massive Arctic island has for the security of the United States as a whole. It is significant that the former US President has brought up the issue as the Arctic is no longer a distant frozen frontier but is becoming a hotbed of international competition as the effects of climate change alter the landscape of geopolitics itself.

Donald Trump wants the U.S. to own Arctic shipping routes with Greenland in an especially strategic place to oversee a number of new passages opening due to melting ice. In fact, these routes could cut travel between Asia, Europe and North America by up to 30% with an attractive...