Trump announces ‘permanent’ US security deal with Greenland
US President Donald Trump has announced an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that he says will give the United States permanent control over security and defence matters on the strategically important Arctic island.
In a statement released on Friday, Trump said the agreement would give Washington the “complete ability” to take whatever action it considers necessary to secure and defend Greenland and the United States.
“There will be NO COST to the United States!” Trump said, describing the arrangement as an “Infinite Life” agreement with no expiry date.
Trump also said the deal would prevent US adversaries from establishing military bases, maintaining military forces or making sensitive investments in Greenland without Washington’s approval.
“We will immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland,” he said.
However, the announcement does not mean the United States has acquired Greenland. Greenland remains under Danish sovereignty, while the agreement is expected to recognise the territory’s interests and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the proposed agreement would strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic while recognising the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the agreement would strengthen the security of Greenland, Denmark, the United States and the Western alliance while recognising Greenland’s interests and its place in international cooperation.
The United States already maintains a military presence in Greenland, including at Pituffik Space Base, and has longstanding defence arrangements with Denmark dating back to 1951. The new agreement is expected to expand the US military presence and provide a longer-term framework for security cooperation.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland’s location and strategic importance make greater US involvement necessary, particularly amid concerns over Russia and China in the Arctic.
The proposed agreement, however, stops short of transferring sovereignty or ownership of Greenland to the United States. The three governments are expected to sign the agreement during the United Nations General Assembly next week, after which it will be subject to the necessary parliamentary procedures before taking effect.