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Denmark and Greenland said Saturday that a pending agreement with the U.S. would not compromise Greenland’s sovereignty, after President Donald Trump said the deal would give Washington “permanent control” over security and other needs on the Arctic island.
The U.S., Denmark and Greenland said Friday that they had reached an agreement expected to be signed next week on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Under the deal, Washington would receive permanent access, basing and overflight rights in Greenland, while China and Russia would be barred from establishing bases or deploying troops. Sensitive investments by U.S. adversaries would also face restrictions.
Key details have not been made public, including the scale of the U.S. military presence and whether Washington would gain any formal authority over Greenland’s foreign policy or resources.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the agreement could end months of uncertainty and strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic while respecting Denmark’s “red lines.”
“Next week could be a good week—for Greenland, Denmark, and the United States,” he said.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the agreement recognizes “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.”
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also welcomed the prospective deal, saying it would strengthen the territory’s security and support its continued development.
“The agreement recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination,” Nielsen said.
Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly said Greenland is not for sale and that Danish sovereignty must be respected.
Trump said the agreement would give the U.S. “permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland.”
He said no U.S. adversary would be allowed to establish a base, maintain a military presence or make sensitive investments in Greenland without Washington’s written approval.
Trump described the deal as an “‘Infinite Life’ Agreement” with “no end” and said the U.S. would immediately begin building up a large military presence in Greenland.
He also said the arrangement would come at no cost to the U.S. and would allow Washington to take whatever steps it considered necessary to secure Greenland and defend the U.S.
A State Department official said the agreement would ensure that China and Russia could not establish bases or deploy troops in Greenland and that mechanisms would prevent sensitive investments.
Trump has repeatedly argued that U.S. control of Greenland is necessary for strategic reasons, warning about potential Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic.
His threats to take control of Greenland, which peaked in January, triggered a diplomatic crisis with Denmark and led Copenhagen and Nuuk into negotiations with Washington.
Trump also discussed Greenland with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, though the terms of that earlier understanding remained unclear.
A NATO spokesperson said Saturday that the alliance welcomed the new agreement, saying it would help strengthen security, stability and cooperation in the region.
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