Denmark’s leaders cautiously optimistic over Greenland deal
COPENHAGEN, Denmark—Denmark’s government was cautiously optimistic on Saturday about US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a deal on Greenland to bolster American military presence there but keep the island under Danish control.
In Greenland, the Arctic island’s top leaders echoed that stance and said the deal had been long in coming.
Trump said on Friday that the agreement would give the United States “permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many US concerns.”
Denmark and the United States already have a long-standing security agreement that has allowed the United States to deploy forces in Greenland and it was not immediately clear how this deal was different from that.
The office of Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said the deal will be signed by all three governments next week during the United Nations General Assembly, but parliamentary action is still needed by the Danish and Greenland governments before it can be enforced.
Few details known
Trump said the United States would “immediately” begin the process of developing a larger military presence on the mineral-rich Danish territory.
A US Department of State official said the agreement bans any non-Nato base in Greenland, limits adversaries from being able to make investments in Greenland, and guarantees that China and Russia cannot have a base on the island. The official was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
US, Greenlandic and Danish officials had quietly negotiated for months behind the scenes, searching for solutions to address some of Trump’s security concerns about a territory of roughly 56,000 residents.
The US push for Greenland was also fiercely opposed by Russia and much of Europe.
