US eyes a bigger military footprint in Greenland

The United States is planning to re-establish military bases in southern Greenland and the east coast, according to a deal set to be signed with Denmark and Greenland on Tuesday. The sites in question are Narsarsuaq, a town that has seen its population dwindle to a few dozen since the US closed its Bluie West One base in the 1950s, and Mestersvig, a military outpost utilized by the Danish Sirius Dog Sled Patrol.

Negotiations between Denmark, Greenland, and the United States are expected to culminate at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City at 10:30 a.m. ET (1430 GMT) on Tuesday. The specifics of the agreement have not been made public, as the three individuals familiar with the matter have requested anonymity. The text of the deal has not been finalized until the signing takes place.

While the governments of Denmark and Greenland have not yet commented on the matter, a White House spokesperson reiterated a previous statement that the agreement would ensure the security of Greenland and the United States. Denmark asserts that this deal will place Arctic security under the jurisdiction of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) instead of solely under US and Danish control.

The push for the US to regain control of Greenland has been driven by President Donald Trump, who has expressed a desire to control the semi-autonomous Danish territory. However, a vast majority of Greenlanders have rejected this idea in polls. Trump's threats, which reached their peak in January, led to a diplomatic crisis within NATO and prompted Denmark and Greenland to engage in negotiations with Washington in an attempt to alleviate the pressure.

During the Cold War, the US maintained 17 military installations and over 10,000 personnel in Greenland. Today, only the Pituffik Space Base remains, housing approximately 150 US military personnel.