US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the agreement reached between the United States, Denmark and Greenland as a historic development and an important victory for Americans.
According to Rubio, the agreement guarantees long-term US security interests in the Arctic, without creating additional costs for American taxpayers. He emphasized that Greenland will remain part of the strategic defense zone of North America, limiting the possibility of the presence of Washington's adversaries in the territory and surrounding areas.
The agreement provides for an expanded US military presence in Greenland, as well as permanent rights of access, military deployment and overflight. Non-NATO countries will also not be allowed to establish military bases on the island, while restrictions are also foreseen on sensitive investments that could be related to the interests of countries adversarial to the US.
President Donald Trump has presented the agreement as a solution to American concerns about the security of Greenland and the Arctic region. Meanwhile, Denmark and Greenland have stressed that the agreement must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, as well as the right of Greenlanders to self-determination.
