Trump signs US-Denmark-Greenland agreement to bolster Arctic security
President Donald Trump has signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland to enhance Arctic and North Atlantic security. The signing took place on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, days after Trump announced the deal to increase U.S. military presence in Greenland while keeping it under Danish control. The governments disclosed few specifics about the agreement prior to the signing.
For months, Trump had expressed his desire for Greenland to become part of the United States and had threatened to seize the semi-autonomous territory from Denmark, a NATO ally. The U.S. has had a military presence in Greenland for many years, but since 1945, the presence has decreased from thousands of soldiers on 17 bases to around 200 soldiers at the remote Pituffik Space Base.
The talks between the U.S., Greenland, and Denmark aimed to address Trump's security concerns about the mineral-rich island. The standoff strained relations within NATO, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warning that a U.S. takeover would amount to the end of the Atlantic alliance. Greenland's roughly 56,000 residents were unsettled by the situation and strained ties between the U.S., Denmark, and European Union partners led to increased security exercises and monetary support for the island.
Trump provided a small window into the deal's details during his speech at the UN General Assembly. He mentioned that the U.S. will "immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations" and will "build two very major military bases." Denmark's parliament had approved a bill in 2023 to allow U.S. military bases on Danish soil, broadening a 2023 military agreement with the Biden administration that granted U.S. troops access to air bases in Denmark.
Trump had insisted on "taking Greenland" to prevent Russia or China from doing the same, although he added that both nations would ultimately have "control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland."
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