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The U.S. perceived total control over Greenland as crucial to counteracting the Soviet advances. They sought to purchase Greenland from Denmark for $100 million in gold after the war, but this proposition was rebuffed. Rather than relinquish territory, Denmark permitted the establishment of a U.S. airbase at Thule. This led to one of the most substantial engineering undertakings in Arctic history, culminating in an airbase capable of accommodating large nuclear bombers and supporting thousands of military personnel.