President Donald Trump announced a deal with Denmark and Greenland to establish a “large military presence” on the territory, potentially ending a monthlong diplomatic dispute with a longtime ally.
The agreement would give the United States “permanent control over security, and all other needs,” Trump said on Sept. 18 in a post on social media, adding that American adversaries would be prevented from having a presence in the territory.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed the deal in a statement, saying it “strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic Area and therefore is great for NATO and Europe as well.”
Already existing agreement
Under a 1951 agreement with Denmark, the United States government has broad power to install and maintain military equipment, facilities and personnel in Greenland.
It is not clear how the new agreement will differ from that existing arrangement, which Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, said in January “gives the United States wide access to Greenland.”
Diplomatic crisis seemingly averted
The three governments are expected to sign the agreement in New York next week at the United Nations General Assembly.
The new accord appears to satisfy Trump’s longtime fascination with the landmass while avoiding his stated ambition of annexing the territory. Greenland, the largest island in the world, is an autonomous territory of Denmark with a population of roughly 57,000 people.
“I am glad that we are about to make a great agreement for Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the United States,” Frederiksen said. “An agreement which strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic Area and therefore is great for NATO and Europe as well.”
She added that the agreement recognizes Denmark’s sovereignty and territorial integrity “and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.”
The U.S. will have permanent access to Greenland in addition to basing and overflight rights, according to a State Department official.
“We will immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland,” Trump said.
Trump sparked a diplomatic crisis with Denmark earlier this year when he threatened to acquire Greenland “the hard way,” suggesting the U.S. was prepared to use military force to seize territory from a NATO ally.
“I would like to make a deal the easy way, but if we don’t do it the easy way we’re going to do it the hard way,” he said on Jan. 9.
The aggressive rhetoric sparked large protests in Greenland and Denmark and condemnation from European leaders.
In recent months, Trump had backed away from comments suggesting that he was willing to take military action against the Arctic island, but his focus on the territory persisted. In May, the U.S. opened a larger consulate in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the agreement would resolve tensions with officials in Denmark and Greenland, who had vehemently rejected Trump’s efforts to acquire the territory.
“Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area,” Rubio said. “This deal permanently and completely addresses our national security concerns in Greenland.”
