Denmark, Greenland and the United States signed a 12-point Arctic security agreement in New York on Tuesday. The deal clears the way for two new American military bases in Greenland.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenlandic premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen and US President Donald Trump all put their names to the text on Tuesday afternoon. DR reports that the signing took place in New York, in connection with the UN General Assembly.
According to DR, the agreement reaffirms the Kingdom of Denmark’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also recognizes that the Greenlandic people constitute a people under international law, with a right to self-determination.
The text sets out 12 points, including a stronger NATO presence in the Arctic. That covers increased presence, joint exercises and shared intelligence gathering, per DR’s account of the document.
The agreement also states that the United States will build two large military bases in Greenland. They are to be established at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig. The current American installation, Pituffik Space Base, is to be modernized and expanded.
What the three leaders said
Trump thanked the two other government leaders and described the outcome as a strong and secure relationship. He said the deal was good for Europe, the United States and Greenland, according to DR.
Frederiksen said the agreement is good for the United States, Greenland and NATO, and therefore also for Europe. She told Trump she agreed with him that adversaries should not come too close, and said the deal ensures that.
Nielsen said the security landscape in the Arctic is changing and that Greenland recognizes the threats the US president has described. He called the text a win for all three parties, as reported by DR.
Trump has previously said he could not rule out that the United States would take Greenland by military force. At the ceremony, journalists asked whether American ownership of Greenland was off the table. He did not answer, and left the room without responding to any questions from the press.
DR notes that the agreement follows several months of negotiations on future cooperation over Greenland and Arctic security. It also provides that the arrangement continues if Greenland one day becomes independent. That is conditional on Greenland committing to remain a member of NATO.
Politiken reports that the signed agreement still has to go through approval procedures before it enters into force. Both Greenland’s parliament and the Danish parliament must handle it.
