The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that will grant Washington permanent authority over the island's security needs, while the territory will remain under Danish sovereignty.
The leader confirmed the understanding this Friday and stated that the United States will permanently have the ability to take the measures it deems necessary to ensure the defense of both Greenland and its own territory. Reuters reported that the agreement also includes a significant expansion of the U.S. military presence on the island.
Trump achieved a historic agreement with Denmark
Trump described the understanding as an agreement of “infinite life”, as it will not have an expiration date. As he explained, no country considered an adversary of the United States will be able to establish a base, deploy military forces, or make sensitive investments in Greenland without explicit authorization from Washington.
The President also stated that the pact will not cost the United States anything and anticipated that his administration will immediately begin working to develop a larger military presence in Greenlandic territory.
The understanding represents a significant change from the tensions recorded in recent months. Trump had repeatedly expressed his interest in incorporating Greenland into the United States due to its strategic importance, a possibility rejected by the authorities of Denmark and Greenland.
The new scheme does not formally change the sovereignty over the island, but it would allow Washington to considerably increase its military and strategic capacity in the Arctic. The United States already operates the Pituffik Space Base there, a facility used for space surveillance, early missile warning, and other defensive functions.
The negotiations were also linked to the U.S. project Golden Dome, the missile defense system promoted by the Trump administration, and with mechanisms aimed at limiting China's strategic influence over Greenland.
Greenland
Trump presented the agreement as a historic achievement for the United States and asserted that it will permanently resolve Washington's concerns regarding the security of the territory.
Denmark had defended throughout the year the continuity of sovereignty over Greenland, although at the same time it had shown willingness to deepen military cooperation with the United States and the rest of NATO allies in the Arctic.
