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Trump announced a security deal with Denmark and Greenland. The agreement expands U.S. military rights while preserving Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States, Denmark and Greenland had reached an agreement that would expand the U.S. military presence on Greenland while leaving sovereignty over the Arctic island with Denmark. The announcement followed months of tensions over Trump’s stated interest in acquiring Greenland and his administration’s concerns about security, military access and foreign investment in the strategically located territory.
Under the agreement, the United States would receive permanent access, basing and overflight rights and would be able to expand its military presence on the island. The arrangement would also restrict non-NATO countries from establishing military bases or maintaining military forces in Greenland and limit sensitive investments by countries considered potential U.S. adversaries, according to U.S. officials cited by Reuters and other news organizations.
The agreement does not transfer ownership of Greenland to the United States. Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, and Danish and Greenlandic officials said the proposed agreement recognizes Denmark’s sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination. The governments said they expect to formally sign the agreement next week during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, subject to required parliamentary procedures in Denmark and Greenland.
The United States already has a military presence in Greenland through Pituffik Space Base in the northwest of the island. Washington has also maintained military access and overflight rights under a 1951 defense agreement with Denmark. Reuters reported that the new arrangement would build on those existing rights, although details about whether additional U.S. bases will actually be constructed remained unclear Friday.
Greenland’s strategic importance is linked partly to its location between North America and Europe and its position along Arctic routes. The island is also considered significant for missile warning, space operations and broader Arctic defense as the United States, Russia and China increase their attention to the region.
Trump had previously argued that U.S. control of Greenland was necessary for national security and had raised the possibility of acquiring the territory. Those statements caused concern among Denmark and other NATO allies, particularly because Greenland remains part of the Danish realm. The agreement announced Friday instead establishes a security framework without transferring territorial sovereignty to Washington.
The proposed pact is expected to remain in effect even if Greenland eventually becomes independent, according to a U.S. State Department official cited by Reuters. However, several operational details, including the scope of future military construction and how the agreement will be implemented, had not been fully disclosed as of Friday.
Sources: The Associated Press, Reuters, The Washington Post, CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera and Fox News.