Kathrine Frich
According to Fritz, the benefits go beyond defense.
According to Fritz, the benefits go beyond defense.
A Strategic Goldmine
A high-ranking American officer has suggested a bold new plan: buying the Commander Islands from Russia.
Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Fritz believes the remote archipelago could be a strategic goldmine and he’s put a $15 billion price tag on the idea.
Why the Commander Islands?
Fritz, currently stationed in Estonia with the U.S. Army Security Command, laid out his vision in a column for Breaking Defense.
The Commander Islands, he argues, could become a crucial listening post to monitor Chinese submarine activity heading for the Arctic.
Inspired by the Alaska Purchase
The proposal echoes the 1867 purchase of Alaska, which was initially mocked as a “folly” but later became a vital part of America’s energy and defense infrastructure.
Fritz calls the island acquisition a “transformative opportunity” for U.S. Arctic strategy.
A Triple Win? Security, Sovereignty, and Indigenous Ties
According to Fritz, the benefits go beyond defense.
The acquisition could strengthen Arctic security, reconnect indigenous communities split by national borders, and reassert American influence in a region gaining geopolitical weight.
A Flashback to Trump’s Greenland Ambitions
Fritz’s plan isn’t the first bold territorial idea from the U.S.
In 2019 and again when he was reelected, Donald Trump floated the idea of buying Greenland from Denmark.
This proposal that caused international uproar but reflected similar strategic logic.
Russia Fires Back: “Selling the Motherland is a Crime”
The Kremlin didn’t mince words.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova slammed the idea as “not worth commenting on,” adding that in Russia, “selling out the Motherland is one of the most terrible crimes.”
A Diplomatic Slapdown with a Financial Twist
Zakharova suggested that if Fritz really had $15 billion to spare, he should use it to help pay off America’s national debt instead of dreaming of real estate deals with Russia.
Commander Islands: Where Are They?
Located in the Bering Sea between Russia and Alaska, the Commander Islands are remote, windswept, and sparsely inhabited.
But their location near key naval passages makes them a geopolitical asset in the eyes of military strategists.
