US-Denmark-Greenland deal boosts Arctic defence and calms Trump tensions
Denmark's UN ambassador has said the security agreement signed last week by the United States, Denmark and Greenland "strengthens the defence of Greenland, the NATO area, and the American continent". The deal, which increases the US military presence in Greenland, is aimed at strengthening NATO's security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, while keeping Greenland as part of Denmark.
Addressing the UN's annual gathering of world leaders on Monday, Christina Lassen said, "The agreement is good for Greenland, for Denmark, for the United States, for NATO and Europe, and for international peace and security." Referring briefly to the deal at the end of her speech, she added, "Progress can still be made when we consult the compass." The agreement also eases, at least for now, tensions over President Donald Trump's repeated calls for the vast island to become part of the United States. It would still apply if Greenland later chooses independence.
Trump first expressed his desire to acquire Greenland in 2019 and, during his current second term, he threatened to seize the semiautonomous territory from Denmark, a NATO ally. He said the US needed to "take Greenland" to prevent Russia or China from doing the same, but also said he would rather "make a deal" for the mineral-rich territory. His remarks strained relations within NATO, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warning that a US takeover would amount to the end of the Atlantic alliance. It also unsettled many of Greenland's roughly 56,000 people, who were wary of a US takeover and a resource grab.
Officials from the United States, Greenland and Denmark negotiated for months behind the scenes to address some of Trump's security concerns about the island, and the president approved the deal. Just before last Tuesday's signing at the UN, Trump said, "This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody. And for Greenland, it's going to be incredible." He did not respond to questions on whether a US acquisition of Greenland was off the table.
The United States has maintained a military presence in Greenland since the end of World War II in 1945, though its numbers have fallen from thousands of soldiers across 17 bases and installations to around 200 troops at the remote Pituffik Space Base in the northwest. The base supports missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance operations for the US and NATO. Before the signing, Trump told the General Assembly that the US would "immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations", including "building two very major military bases". The agreement was presented at the UN as a step to strengthen security in Greenland and the wider North Atlantic region.
