The US, Denmark, and Greenland have reached an agreement on security in Greenland after several months of growing tensions surrounding the island. According to US President Donald Trump, the US will ‘forever’ have total control over the island, a move justified by national security with the island seen as strategically important.
The agreement is expected to be signed during the UN General Assembly in New York next week and, according to the parties, will allow the US to expand its military presence in Greenland.
At the same time, both the Danish and Greenlandic governments emphasize that the deal does not mean a change in Greenland’s status. Danish sovereignty over the territory will remain, and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination will be respected.
The agreement comes after a period when relations between the Trump administration in the White House and the Danish government have been unusually strained.
US President Donald Trump has for a long time highlighted Greenland as an area of critical importance for American security and has previously gone so far as to suggest that the US could take control over the island.
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Furthermore, the US government has pointed to Greenland’s geographic location, the island’s mineral resources, and the increasing strategic importance of the Arctic as reasons why the US needs greater access to the area.
While Denmark and Greenland emphasize that their sovereignty and right to self-determination remain, the statements from the American side are much more far-reaching. Donald Trump describes the agreement as the US ‘forever’ having full capability to do what is necessary in Greenland to guarantee security.
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The wording also raises questions about how far American control extends and, ultimately, who will have the final say in matters relating to the island’s security and future.
It is still unclear exactly what the new agreement will mean in practice. No complete agreement text has yet been released. In a social media post, the President wrote that, according to the deal, the US will have ‘permanent control over security and all other needs’ in Greenland.
The US will forever have full capability to do what is necessary in Greenland to secure and defend the safety of Greenland and the US.
However, the Danish and Greenlandic governments maintain that the agreement with the US is not about giving the White House control over Greenland’s territory or political governance.
There is also no information about any part of Greenland being transferred to the US. The central change instead appears to be related to the US military presence and the possibility to expand it.
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Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen described the agreement as a way to safeguard Greenland’s own interests.
– The agreement recognizes Greenland’s interests and our place in international cooperation. It benefits us all.
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Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen also expressed hope that the agreement would end a prolonged period of uncertainty.
– A period of uncertainty will hopefully make way for a binding agreement that strengthens security in the Arctic and North Atlantic and thereby our collective security within NATO in Europe. At the same time, the Kingdom of Denmark’s red lines will be respected.
The US Already Has a Military Presence
At the same time, the American military presence on Greenland is nothing new. The US has stationed forces on the island for decades. During the Cold War, the US built extensive military infrastructure as its geographic location made it possible to detect and track Soviet bombers and missiles heading toward North America.
According to information so far, the new agreement also includes provisions to prevent countries outside NATO from establishing military bases or stationing troops in Greenland. This is reported by Politico.
Investments from America’s adversaries in strategically important sectors, including the mining and minerals industry, are also to be potentially restricted. The White House is expected to have a role in these processes, giving Washington increased influence over which foreign actors are allowed to invest in Greenland’s strategically important resources.