Denmark's government has welcomed a US deal on Greenland to bolster US military presence there while keeping the island under Danish control, following months of threats by President Donald Trump to seize the semi-autonomous territory of a NATO ally.
The United States, Denmark and Greenland said late on Friday they had entered into an agreement for the US to develop a significant military presence on Greenland, while prohibiting US adversaries from building their own bases on the island.
Trump said the agreement would grant the US "permanent control over security, and all other needs" in the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
The leaders of Denmark and Greenland welcomed the deal to "strengthen security" in the region and said it would not compromise Greenland's sovereignty.
They said the deal was expected to be signed next week at the UN General Assembly.
Key details of the agreement have not been made public, including the degree of US military presence in the territory and whether any formal power over foreign policy and resources would be ceded to Washington.
Binding agreement in the making
Denmark and Greenland expressed hope that the deal would end months of uncertainty triggered by Trump's threats to "take" Greenland over national security concerns, citing its strategic location for defence purposes and its mineral wealth.
"Next week could be a good week – for Greenland, Denmark, and the United States," Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in a statement on Saturday.
"A time of uncertainty will hopefully give way to a binding agreement that strengthens security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic, and thereby our shared security within NATO and Europe – while respecting the (Danish) Kingdom's red lines," he said.
Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly insisted that Washington respect the sovereignty of the Danish kingdom and accept that Greenland is not for sale.
Trump said Friday that under a deal, "the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the security of Greenland, and the United States of America", in a post on Truth Social.
The deal "gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland," Trump said, adding that no adversary would ever be permitted to have a base or military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments there, without Washington's express written approval.
Sovereignty and territorial integrity
Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the deal.
"I am delighted on behalf of Greenland that we are nearing the conclusion of an agreement. An agreement that will benefit not only the security of us all, but also the continued development of this country," he said in a social media post on Saturday.
"The agreement recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination," he added.
Trump's threats, which peaked in January, triggered a diplomatic crisis that strained relations within NATO and pushed Denmark and Greenland into negotiations aimed at defusing the pressure.
A NATO spokesperson on Saturday said the alliance welcomed the agreement, which would "help advance security, stability and cooperation in this vital region".
(with newswires)
