US to build two military bases in Greenland under new deal with Denmark

US to build two military bases in Greenland under new deal with Denmark

The US, Denmark and Greenland have signed a defence agreement that gives Washington permission to construct two new military bases in the Arctic territory, while also reaffirming Copenhagen's sovereignty over it.

Ahead of a signing ceremony at the UN General Assembly in New York, US President Donald Trump said "we will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations".

Danish PM Mette Frederiksen said the deal was "good for the US, Denmark and Greenland" and also for Europe and Nato, while Greenland's PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen called it a "win-win-win".

The three leaders then signed the agreement, apparently bringing to an end more than a year of tension over the Arctic territory.

Trump had threatened to "take" the semi-autonomous Arctic territory over what he said were national security concerns, pointing to its strategic defence position and mineral resources.

His comments drew outrage from Greenlanders, Danes and European leaders, who issued a joint statement saying his words "undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral".

The deal revises and updates a 1951 defence agreement between Denmark and the US.

The new pact says the US "shall be allowed to establish an additional Defence Area at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig" - referring to sites in Greenland's south and east.

Narsarsuaq is a former civilian airport and World War Two base. It has deep-water access and a large runway that US military engineers were recently inspecting, the US North Command confirmed to the BBC.

The Mestersvig outpost is remote, much less developed, and used by a Danish naval dog sled unit.

The "modalities and technical details" of the bases have yet to be confirmed and, under the deal, must be agreed by all parties.

That means the US security arrangements are not unrestricted and still require approval from Greenland and Denmark.

Washington currently runs its Pituffik Space Base in north-west Greenland, and the new deal allows the US to "modernise and expand its activities" there.

It also states that "no state that is not a member of Nato shall be allowed to establish its own manned or unmanned military installations in Greenland nor shall they be allowed a persistent presence of military forces in Greenland".

While non-Nato militaries are now explicitly barred from the island, it was highly unlikely that non-allied troops would have been permitted access anyway.

Importantly, no territory is transferred to the US, and the agreement recognises both Denmark's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" and Greenland's right to self-determination.

On one level, that marks a major retreat from Trump's earlier calls to acquire the Arctic island.

But it does provide a stronger US military presence and expands the earlier agreement. For some Americans, that will therefore be seen as a historic victory.

The new deal still needs approval from both Denmark's and Greenland's parliaments.

Even after months of crisis, the atmosphere at Tuesday's signing ceremony seemed notably upbeat and cordial.

"We going to have a tremendous relationship, a secure relationship," Trump said.

"This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States, for everybody, and for Greenland it's going to be incredible."

Frederiksen, meanwhile, described the signing as a "milestone in our long-standing co-operation".

"Seventy-five years ago we entered into an agreement about the defence of Greenland. Today, we're signing an even bigger and better agreement - a deal that can last forever."

The Danish prime minister emphasised that the agreement "respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, as well as Greenland's right to self-determination".

Jens-Frederik Nielsen said that "for Greenland, it is not only an agreement about us, it is [an] agreement with us.

"It takes into account the people of Greenland, our rights, our livelihoods and the development of our country.

"Greenland matters for North American security and for transatlantic security," he said, adding that Nato had an important role to play in the North Atlantic in a changing security situation.

The agreement also confirmed that Greenland would remain in Nato if it were to gain independence from Denmark.

The 1951 agreement already permitted the US to send as many troops as it wanted to Greenland. Washington already has more than 100 military personnel permanently based at its Pituffik base.

Trump had spent months trying to buy or annex Greenland, arguing that it was vulnerable to adversaries including Russia and China.

He said the Arctic island was a crucial part of his plan to build a futuristic "Golden Dome" defence system to protect the US from missile attacks.

However, the deal mentions the project only once and offers no concrete proposal.

A Nato spokesperson said shortly afterwards that the military alliance welcomed the deal, which would "help advance security, stability and cooperation in this vital region".

In Denmark, the deal is being celebrated as a diplomatic success, and several political parties there have already said they would support it.

For Greenland, a country of 56,000 people, there was good reason for a huge sigh of relief. Its leader sat side-by-side with the world's most powerful man, and secured a deal that should now bring an end to months of crisis.