US President Donald Trump signed a security agreement on Tuesday to strengthen the United States’ military presence in Greenland, the self-governing territory under Danish sovereignty, after months of crisis with European countries triggered by his threats to annex the island to US territory. The agreement provides for the construction of two new US military bases in the south and east of the territory.
Signing ceremony and Greenland leaders’ positions
The signing ceremony took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York after Trump addressed the General Assembly, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen taking part. Trump described the agreement as “a wonderful thing for Europe, the United States, everyone and Greenland”. The US president added: “It’s going to be really amazing.”
“The people of Greenland have been very nice, the Danes have been terrific, and I know it’s going to be a great, long-term relationship.” When a journalist asked whether the issue of Greenland’s “ownership” was now in the past, Trump merely smiled without answering. Addressing Trump, Frederiksen said: “Mr President, you have been very clear.”
Greenland links agreement to restoring trust
“And you don’t want adversaries to get too close” to Greenland. She added that she completely agreed with him, stressing that the agreement would prevent that from happening. Nielsen, for his part, reaffirmed Greenland’s strategic importance to the security of North America and the transatlantic region, saying the agreement “shows where our loyalty lies”.
During a subsequent joint press conference with the Danish prime minister, he said he felt “proud that this agreement clearly states that Greenland must be respected”. At the same time, the Greenland prime minister acknowledged that restoring trust would take time, describing the agreement as “a step in the right direction”.
He added: “But on the ground, trust must be rebuilt and that is a long process”, referring to the repercussions of the crisis that followed Trump’s earlier statements about annexing the territory. The 10-page document was welcomed by European officials, who expressed hope that it would put an end to earlier US threats.
European welcome for security agreement
European Council President António Costa described the agreement as “positive progress”, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said it strengthens “the transatlantic partnership within NATO and contributes to security in the High North”. Trump’s threats to annex Greenland to the United States had triggered a serious crisis with European countries.
The island is becoming increasingly important because of its position on the shortest route between Russia and the United States, as well as its untapped rare-earth minerals. Its strategic role could grow as the ice sheet melts and new waterways emerge. Speaking from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly, Trump announced that his country intended to build “two very, very large military bases” in Greenland.
Expanding US military bases in the Arctic territory near Russia and the United States through a defence agreement updated in 2004 that includes
Article 4 of the agreement, which was signed and circulated on Tuesday, provides for the construction of the two bases in the south and east of the territory, expanding the existing US military presence there. The United States has had a defence agreement with Greenland since 1951 and has a base at Pituffik in the north of the Arctic territory.
The agreement allows Washington to upgrade the base whenever it deems appropriate, while the facility is a key element of the US missile defence system. The defence agreement, updated in 2004, gives US forces broad freedom of movement, provided they notify local authorities of their activities in advance. Denmark welcomed the agreement as recognising the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom, as well as the right of the people of Greenland to self-determination.
The document states that the agreement’s validity will not be called into question if the island gains independence, provided that the territory remains a member of NATO. When Trump announced the agreement on Friday, he stressed its lasting nature.
Article 10 of the agreement bars any entity from outside the European Union and NATO from controlling a strategic sector in Greenland, an implicit reference to China and Russia. US officials said the document would prevent either country from establishing military bases on the island or making major investments there without prior approval. Washington has 17 military facilities in Greenland.
