Greenland deal: Denmark says NATO shares responsibility for Arctic security

Denmark, Greenland, and the United States are set to sign a security agreement for Greenland's safety on Tuesday at the UN General Assembly in New York, according to Denmark. This deal, which hasn't been made public yet, is said to place Arctic security under NATO's jurisdiction instead of it being solely the responsibility of Washington and Copenhagen.

President Donald Trump claims that the US will have "permanent control" of the situation. While Denmark and Greenland have not responded to Trump's claim, they have stated that the deal would benefit Greenland and respect its sovereignty. A White House official said Trump will meet in New York on Tuesday with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen to formalize the new agreement.

This deal is a result of months of pressure from Trump, who has suggested that the US should control Greenland and at times hinted about using military or economic force to achieve this. His aggressive stance led to a diplomatic crisis within NATO and prompted Denmark and Greenland to negotiate with Washington to soothe the tensions.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen mentioned that the agreement will place responsibility for security in the Arctic on NATO to a significant extent, rather than just Denmark or America. The deal might also amend an existing 1951 defense agreement that currently serves as the legal basis for the US presence in Greenland.

Ulrik Pram Gad, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, believes that the deal could be an attempt to strengthen NATO's unity through Greenland. The US has strategic interest in Greenland dating back to World War II, with the US signing a deal with Danish envoy Henrik Kauffmann in 1941 to secure the North Atlantic supply route between North America and Europe. At its peak during the war, the US presence in Greenland reached around 5,500 military personnel.