Trump signs an agreement that strengthens the US military deployment in Greenland

Trump signs an agreement that strengthens the US military deployment in Greenland

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The United States, Denmark and Greenland signed an agreement allowing Washington to build two new military bases in the Arctic territory, while reaffirming Copenhagen's sovereignty over it.

Before the signing ceremony, which took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York, US President Donald Trump said: “We will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in appropriate locations.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that the agreement is “good for the United States, Denmark and Greenland,” as well as for Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), while Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, said that it is “a win-win for everyone.” Then the three leaders signed the agreement, which seemed to put an end to more than a year of tension between Washington and its European allies, regarding the territory located in the Arctic.

“It's great for Europe, for the United States, for everyone, and for Greenland,” President Trump said.

He added: “It will be really amazing. “The Greenlanders were so nice and the Danes were wonderful, and I know it will be a wonderful, long-lasting relationship.”

The signing ceremony was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, after the US President delivered a speech before the General Assembly.

In response to a journalist's question about whether the issue of Greenland's "ownership" had become a thing of the past, Trump merely smiled without providing an answer.

The Danish Prime Minister said: “Mr. President, you have been very clear. You do not want the opponents to reach a very close distance” from this region, stressing: “I completely agree with you, and thanks to this agreement, that will not be the case.”

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For his part, the Prime Minister of Greenland reaffirmed the strategic role played by this region for security in North America and across the Atlantic.

During a subsequent joint press conference with the Danish Prime Minister, Jens-Friedrik Nielsen expressed “a feeling of pride that this agreement clearly states that Greenland must be respected.”

But strengthening confidence will take time, according to what Nielsen said, who acknowledged that the agreement is “a step in the right direction. But on the street, confidence must be restored, and this is a long path.”

The American President sparked a severe crisis with the Europeans by threatening to annex the island of Greenland, which has a strategic location and is rich in resources, and which enjoys self-rule under Danish sovereignty, to the territory of the United States.

This region enjoys a strategic location on the shortest route between Russia and the United States. It is also rich in rare, unexploited minerals, and its role may grow as the ice cover melts and new water paths are revealed.

Strengthening the American military presence

From the podium of the United Nations General Assembly, Donald Trump announced the United States’ intention to establish “two very large military bases” in Greenland, located in the south and east of the territory, in accordance with Article Four of the agreement that was signed on Tuesday.

The United States, which has had a defense agreement with Greenland since 1951, has a base in Petovik in the north of the region, which it can update whenever it deems appropriate, according to what was stated in the agreement. This facility is an essential element of the American anti-missile defense.

Denmark, for its part, praised this agreement, which “recognizes” the Kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the right of the people of Greenland to self-determination.

In this regard, the agreement indicates that its validity will not be a subject of discussion if this island gains its independence, but the region should remain a member of NATO.