US President Donald Trump said Washington has reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that gives the United States permanent control over security and other needs in Greenland, marking a significant shift in the strategic Arctic territory.
Trump announced the agreement on Friday but gave few details about its terms or how the new security arrangements would operate. The announcement followed earlier talks between Washington and Copenhagen over expanding the US military presence in Greenland.
The development comes as the United States seeks greater access to Greenland, whose location makes it strategically important for Arctic and North American defence. Reuters reported earlier that US and Danish officials had been discussing an arrangement that could give Washington a more substantial military presence on the island.
Trump said the agreement would give the US a permanent ability to take measures it considers necessary to protect Greenland and the United States. He did not provide further details on the scope of the security powers or the role of Greenlandic and Danish authorities.
The announcement also stops short, at least in the information made public so far, of a US takeover of Greenland. Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, and the precise legal and political framework of the reported agreement has not been fully disclosed.
The agreement could further strengthen Washington’s military position in the Arctic, an increasingly important region for the US, Denmark and other NATO members as competition over security and strategic access intensifies.
