US to build two military bases in Greenland

The United States will build two new military bases in Greenland under a defense agreement signed with Denmark and Greenland, expanding Washington’s military footprint in the Arctic while reaffirming Danish sovereignty over the semi-autonomous territory.

The deal, signed Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, ends months of strain among the allies after US President Donald Trump threatened to “take” Greenland, citing national security concerns, its strategic location and its mineral wealth. His remarks had drawn protests from Greenlanders, Danes and European leaders, who warned they could undermine transatlantic relations.

“We will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations,” Trump said at the signing ceremony, referring to plans that include “building two very major military bases”.

“This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody,” he said. “And for Greenland, it’s going to be incredible.”

The agreement amends and updates a 1951 defense pact between Denmark and the US. It allows Washington to establish new defense areas at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and Mestersvig in the east. Narsarsuaq has deep-water access and a large runway, while Mestersvig is a remote and far less developed outpost used by a Danish naval dog sled unit.

The precise “modalities and technical details” of the new bases still must be agreed by all parties. The accord also allows the US to “modernise and expand” its activities at Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland, where Washington already has a permanent military presence.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the agreement a “milestone in our long-standing co-operation” and said it was “good for the US, Denmark and Greenland” as well as for Europe and NATO.

“Seventy-five years ago we entered into an agreement about the defence of Greenland,” Frederiksen said. “Today, we’re signing an even bigger and better agreement — a deal that can last forever.”

She said the accord “respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, as well as Greenland’s right to self-determination”.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen described the agreement as a “win-win-win” and said it was not simply about Greenland but made with Greenland.

“It takes into account the people of Greenland, our rights, our livelihoods and the development of our country,” Nielsen said. “Your security is our security, and our security is your security.”

The agreement says no non-NATO state may establish manned or unmanned military installations in Greenland or maintain a persistent military presence there. Al Jazeera reported that it also permits US aircraft to fly over and land anywhere in Greenland, including its territorial waters, grants “undersea access” and bars investors from “sensitive sectors” outside NATO and the European Union.

If Greenland becomes independent from Denmark, the accord says it would remain in NATO and assume Denmark’s obligations under the deal. The agreement has no end date, Al Jazeera reported.

The US has had a military presence in Greenland for decades. The 1951 agreement already allowed Washington to send as many troops as it wanted to the island, and the BBC reported that more than 100 US military personnel are permanently stationed at Pituffik. Al Jazeera reported that the US presence has declined since 1945 from thousands of troops across 17 bases to about 200 at Pituffik.

Trump has argued that Greenland is vulnerable to adversaries including Russia and China and that it is important to his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system. The BBC reported that the new agreement mentions that project once but contains no concrete proposal. Trump said last week the deal came with “no cost to the United States”.

NATO welcomed the agreement, saying it would help advance security, stability and cooperation in the region. European Council President Antonio Costa also welcomed it, calling it “a positive step for transatlantic cooperation and Arctic security” grounded in respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.