WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has announced a new security pact between the United States, Denmark and Greenland that would give Washington the ability to increase its military presence on the Arctic island without relinquishing its Danish sovereignty.
The agreement provides the U.S. with “permanent control” over Greenland’s security and other strategic interests, Trump said Friday. He also stated the US would start to scale up its military presence on the island from today.
As outlined by U.S. officials, countries labeled U.S. adversaries would not be allowed to build military bases or make some sensitive investments in Greenland without U.S. consent. The pact would also bolster existing U.S. military rights on the island, Reuters reported, though key terms for the deal remain unpublished.
The deal does not imply that Greenland would be sold to the U.S. Both Denmark and Greenland have emphasized that their sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination is not affected. Denmark and Greenland authorities have said the deal is one that can enhance security while adhering to those tenets.
The agreement acknowledges the Kingdom of Denmark’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and the rights of Greenland to self-determination,” said Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen added that the accord “acknowledges Greenland’s interests and role in international cooperation.
The agreement is not yet in force. Danish officials said they expect to sign the pact during the United Nations General Assembly meetings next week, but it still needs to be approved by the Danish and Greenlandic parliaments before it goes into effect.
The move comes after months of tensions over Trump’s frequent calls for the U.S. to take over control of Greenland. He earlier had called for the island to be taken over by the USA and did not rule out military force, which led to criticism from Denmark and Greenland.
But exactly how much the U.S. military will expand under the new pact is still uncertain. It is unclear how many more forces or installations might be deployed, Reuters said, and the information released does not indicate if any new permanent bases will be constructed.
The U.S. already has a military base in Greenland. Missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the United States and NATO are based at Pituffik Space Base in the northwest of the island. The base was established as a result of the U.S.-Danish Defense of Greenland treaty of 1951.
The Arctic location of Greenland is significant in terms of North American defenses, as well as for Arctic and North Atlantic monitoring. In addition to the island’s strategic location, Trump also has mentioned the island’s mineral resources as a reason for his interest in Greenland.
The accord is a major shift from the confrontational nature of Trump’s position on Greenland. What is being created is not a transfer of sovereignty but an increased access for U.S. security and military forces, and the maintenance of the island of Greenland within the Kingdom of Denmark. More legal term will become apparent after the agreement is published and formally signed.
