Thule, and yes. I don’t know. I’m sure it isn’t cheap, it’s a difficult place, being well north of the Arctic Circle.
I do know the GIUK gap was hugely important during the Cold War. Greenland - Iceland - UK are a shipping choke point for sortieing Soviet submarines. Thus Keflavik and UK bases provided air interdiction of these strategic waterways, fixed sonar systems listened for subs, and NATO SSs and SSNs did the same and tracked Soviet boats. Thule was a recon base and forward staging for strategic bombers against the NE Soviet Union. Today it’s there to watch for ballistic missile launches, among other functions.
POTUS knows so much more than the average person, and as things become known, it becomes obvious he has many more reasons for the things that he does than any person can imagine.
One thing came to my mind was what we found out China was planning or trying re the Moon. I mean, what if they got there and claimed it not good. Better to head it off in the first place, somehow, that the ave person may not recog.