US, Denmark and Greenland sign Arctic security agreement
Trump and the leaders of Denmark and Greenland signed an accord in New York expanding US military access to Greenland while upholding Danish sovereignty.
The United States, Denmark and Greenland have signed an agreement on the status of the Arctic island, following months of negotiations held quietly behind the scenes. The deal was formally signed in New York on Tuesday.
The talks sought both to address American security concerns about Greenland and to ease Danish and Greenlandic fears of a US takeover. All three parties expressed satisfaction at the signing ceremony.
Under the accord, Washington is permitted to "modernize and expand" its activities at the remote Pituffik Space Base in the northwest. The US may also set up "defense areas" at Narsarsuaq in the south and Mestersvig in the east, and may establish additional defense areas and strengthen its military operations or facilities in Greenland.
The agreement provides for wide US military mobility across Greenlandic territory, including "undersea access," noting that the security situation in the Arctic is changing and that more efforts are needed to ensure future security there.
It reaffirms "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark" and recognizes Greenlanders' right to self-determination. The three parties also back stronger NATO engagement in the Arctic, covering planning, presence, exercises and joint intelligence gathering.
The deal allows US military access to Greenland to defend the NATO area, Greenland itself and the American continent, including through a "Golden Dome defense system." It specifies that no non-NATO state may establish manned or unmanned military installations in Greenland or maintain a persistent military presence there.
The preamble recognizes the need to protect Greenland's pristine environment and stresses the economic, social and cultural rights of Greenlanders, including in relation to their lands and way of life, such as hunting, fishing and other traditional, cultural, historical and future activities.
The accord has no end date. Should Greenland choose independence, it would agree to remain in NATO and assume Denmark's rights and obligations under the deal. It will enter into force only after the necessary parliamentary processes of the Kingdom of Denmark, in conjunction with Greenland, are completed.