While few details of the exact work at Pituffik have been made public, the improvements come during a time of intense focus on Greenland.

History also shows that many of the fanciful engineering ideas for Greenland failed because they misjudged the island’s harsh climate and dynamic ice sheet.

European countries were sending small numbers of military personnel to Greenland on Thursday as Denmark and its allies prepared for exercises to try to assure U.S. President Donald Trump of its security as he pushes to acquire the island.

But when the Soviet Union collapsed, heralding an end to the cold war, Greenland was relegated in importance. The US presence in Greenland went from more than 10,000 personnel on 50 bases to a single settlement at Pituffik space base (formerly Thule air base) with about 150-200 people.

President Donald Trump's renewed interest in Greenland comes days after the U.S. arrest and extraction of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro.

Several NATO countries are deploying small numbers of military personnel to Greenland to participate in joint exercises with Denmark as US President Donald Trump ramps up his threats to forcibly annex the Arctic island.

Christopher Friedman, a probation officer in Washington state, told ABC News that he voted for Trump mainly based on domestic issues such as crime and the economy. He said he felt indifferent about the Venezuela operations, since he does not feel any direct impact to his life or know anyone from there.