Trump signs Greenland defence deal with Denmark, widening US Arctic role
US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Denmark and Greenland have signed an agreement on the status of Greenland after months of threats by Trump to seize the semi-autonomous territory of a NATO ally. The deal was formally signed on Tuesday in New York after months of quiet talks between US, Greenlandic and Danish officials.
The agreement allows the United States to expand its military presence on the Arctic island while also reaffirming Denmark's sovereignty and Greenlanders' right to decide their future. All three sides expressed satisfaction at the signing ceremony, though the accord will take effect only after the required parliamentary approvals in the Kingdom of Denmark, in coordination with Greenland.
Under the deal, Washington can "modernise and expand" its activities at Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland. The US can also create "defence areas" at Narsarsuaq in the south and Mestersvig in the east, and "may establish additional defence areas in Greenland and strengthen its military operations or facilities".
The accord also allows broad US military mobility across Greenland, including "undersea access". It says "the security situation in the Arctic is changing and that more efforts are needed to ensure security there in the future".
At the same time, the agreement reaffirms "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark" and recognises Greenlanders' "right to self-determination". It also says the three parties "support a stronger NATO engagement in the Arctic, including as regards planning, presence, exercises, and joint intelligence gathering".
The deal allows US military access to Greenland to defend the NATO area, Greenland itself and the American continent, including through a "Golden Dome defence system". It also states that "no state that is not a member of NATO shall be allowed to establish its own manned or unmanned military installations in Greenland nor shall they be allowed a persistent presence of military forces in Greenland".
In its preamble, the agreement recognises "the need to protect the pristine environment of Greenland". It also highlights "the economic, social, and cultural rights of the people of Greenland, including with respect to their lands and their way of life, including hunting, fishing, and other traditional, cultural, historical, future activities".
The accord "does not have an end date". It says that if Greenland chooses to become independent from Denmark, it will agree to remain in NATO and take on Denmark's rights and obligations under the deal. In sum, the agreement sets out a wider US military role in Greenland, backs a stronger NATO presence in the Arctic, and at the same time underlines Denmark's territorial integrity, Greenland's self-determination and the need for parliamentary approval before it comes into force.
