Denmark, Greenland Sign Security Deal With Trump on US Bases

Denmark and Greenland signed an agreement with United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday that opens the way for a larger American military footprint in Greenland and eases friction over his repeated suggestions that the vast island should become part of the United States.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, appearing alongside Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen after the signing, said she was "extremely happy" with a deal she described as strengthening security in the region. She noted that she had been party to many political agreements but few of comparable scope, and said a good deal is one in which all sides can see themselves reflected.

Nielsen said the agreement reaffirms Greenland's importance to international defence cooperation and, in particular, to cooperation with the United States. He said he was especially proud that it establishes that Greenland must be respected, that its right to self-determination has been honoured and that its territory is inviolable.

Frederiksen closed the news conference on a lighter note, telling those present that the two leaders would soon head out for a cold beer. The pair were seen embracing before leaving.

The signing took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, days after Trump announced a deal to bolster the US military presence on Greenland while leaving it under Danish control. The arrangement would continue to apply if Greenland eventually chooses independence.

Trump has voiced ambitions to acquire Greenland during his second term and has issued threats to take over the semi-autonomous territory from Denmark, a NATO ally. On Tuesday he did not answer questions on whether a US acquisition of the island was off the table.

Officials from the three governments negotiated behind the scenes for months, seeking ways to address American security concerns about the mineral-rich island. The text, released by all three governments after the signing, permits Washington to "modernize and expand" its activities at Pituffik.

Under the accord, no non-NATO country may establish its own manned or unmanned military installations in Greenland, or maintain a persistent military presence there, unless the signatories agree otherwise. The agreement has no end date, and should Greenland opt for independence it would commit to remaining in NATO and to assuming Denmark's rights and obligations under the deal.