Snow covers Old Nuuk, located in front of Sermitsiaq Island in Greenland, February 5, 2025. Independence for Greenland could pave the way for more U.S. influence, already substantial on an island seen as vital for U.S. security interests, at a time when the Arctic region has increasingly come into the geopolitical spotlight as Russia and China intensify military activity there. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier