The United States, Denmark and Greenland have reached a new agreement to strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, which US President Donald Trump has described as a deal that gives Washington "permanent control" over Greenland's security.
Trump made the announcement through a post on the Truth Social platform, saying that the United States will have the ability to take any action it deems necessary to protect Greenland and American security.
According to Trump, the agreement will prevent US adversaries from establishing bases, establishing a military presence or making significant investments on the island without Washington's express written approval. The US president has also said that the US will begin the process of expanding its military presence in appropriate parts of Greenland.
However, the agreement does not mean the transfer of sovereignty over Greenland to the United States. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has emphasized that the agreement recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, as well as the right of the people of Greenland to self-determination.
Frederiksen has described the agreement as a step that strengthens shared security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic, arguing that it is also in the interest of NATO and Europe.
Greenland's Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has also welcomed the agreement, saying that it will guarantee and strengthen the security of Greenland, Denmark, the US and the Western alliance.
The agreement is expected to be signed during the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week. After signing, it will need to go through the necessary parliamentary procedures in Denmark and Greenland to enter into force.
The issue of Greenland has long been at the center of the Trump administration's foreign policy. The US president has insisted that control of the island is important to US national security and has repeatedly warned of the danger of a greater Russian or Chinese presence in the Arctic. These statements have caused tensions with Denmark and reactions in other European countries.
Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, is of particular strategic importance due to its position in the Arctic. The US already has a military presence on the island through the Pituffik Space Base, which is used for missile warning and space surveillance missions.
At the height of the Cold War, the American presence in Greenland was much larger, while today Pituffik is the main American base in the territory.
The full details of the agreement have not yet been made public. Therefore, it remains to be seen what concrete powers the document will give the US regarding security, military presence, and strategic investments in Greenland.
