US President Donald Trump has announced an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that he says will give Washington permanent control over the Arctic territory’s security and allow the United States to expand its military presence there.
Trump said the agreement would prevent countries he considers US adversaries from establishing military bases, maintaining a military presence or making sensitive investments in Greenland without American approval. He also said the United States would face no cost under the arrangement.
“I am proud to be the President that permanently and conclusively addressed this very important situation,” Trump said, describing the agreement as an “Infinite Life” deal with no expiry.
He said the US would immediately begin preparations to develop a larger military presence in Greenland, working with local authorities and residents.
The announcement follows months of tension over Trump’s repeated calls for greater US control of Greenland, including earlier proposals for the United States to acquire the territory. Greenland remains an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Sovereignty remains intact
Denmark and Greenland have sought to clarify that the agreement does not transfer sovereignty over Greenland to the United States.
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said the agreement recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.
The exact terms of the agreement have not yet been made public. It is expected to be signed during the United Nations General Assembly next week and will require parliamentary action in Denmark and Greenland before taking effect.
The United States already operates Pituffik Space Base in north-western Greenland under a longstanding defence agreement with Denmark. The base supports missile-warning, missile-defence and space-surveillance operations for the United States and NATO.
The new arrangement would significantly expand the US military role in Greenland while leaving the territory under Danish sovereignty. The agreement also seeks to limit the military and economic presence of countries viewed by Washington as strategic rivals.
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