US President Donald Trump has officially announced the achievement of a historic permanent agreement with Denmark and the autonomous government of Greenland. The deal guarantees a massive expansion of the US military presence on the strategic island in the North Atlantic.
In a statement on the social network Truth Social, Trump emphasized that the agreement gives the United States “permanent control over security“ in the region. “At my direction, I worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to ensure that the United States FOREVER will have the full ability to take necessary actions in Greenland”, the American leader said. The move ends months of diplomatic tension within NATO after Trump threatened to acquire the territory "the hard way" earlier this year.
The agreement stipulates that the Pentagon will immediately begin building and modernizing military bases on the island. An important highlight of the treaty is the complete ban on non-NATO countries from building their own military facilities or making strategic investments in sensitive sectors in Greenland without the express written approval of Washington. According to State Department sources cited by Reuters, the clause is directly aimed at the geopolitical ambitions of Russia and China in the Arctic. In addition, the new infrastructure will support Trump's planned "Golden Dome" missile defense.
Despite the significant expansion of US powers, the new deal does not envisage annexation or change of sovereignty of the island. The text respects the territorial integrity of Denmark and the right of the local population to self-determination. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Fredrik Nielsen confirmed that the treaty will be officially signed next week at the UN General Assembly, followed by ratification by the parliaments in Copenhagen and Nuuk.