U.S., Denmark and Greenland sign security agreement to strengthen Arctic defense

The security agreement signed by the U.S., Denmark and Greenland last week “strengthens the defense of Greenland, the NATO area, and the American continent,” Denmark’s U.N. ambassador told the U.N.’s annual gathering of world leaders Monday.

"The agreement is good for Greenland, for Denmark, for the United States, for NATO and Europe, and for international peace and security," Christina Lassen said.

The agreement bolstering the U.S. military presence in Greenland is aimed at strengthening NATO’s security in the Arctic and North Atlantic. It keeps Greenland as part of Denmark and, at least for the moment, eases tensions over President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for the vast island to become part of the United States. The agreement would still apply if Greenland eventually chooses independence.

In brief remarks on the agreement at the end of her speech, Lassen said, “Progress can still be made when we consult the compass.”

Trump expressed his desire to acquire Greenland as long ago as 2019 and, during his current second term, he issued threats to seize the semiautonomous territory from Denmark, a NATO ally. He said the U.S. needed to “take Greenland,” to prevent Russia or China from doing the same, but said he would rather make a deal ” for the mineral-rich territory.

Trump’s designs on Greenland strained relations within NATO, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warning a U.S. takeover would amount to the end of the Atlantic alliance. It also unsettled many of Greenland’s roughly 56,000 people wary of a U.S. takeover and resource grab.

Officials from the U.S., Greenland and Denmark negotiated for months behind the scenes, searching for solutions to address some of Trump’s security concerns about the island and the president gave a thumbs up to the deal..

Just before last Tuesday’s signing, at the U.N., Trump said, “This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody. And for Greenland, it’s going to be incredible.” He did not respond to questions about whether a U.S. acquisition of Greenland was off the table.

The United States has had a military presence in Greenland since the end of World War II in 1945, but the numbers decreased from thousands of soldiers on 17 bases and installations to roughly 200 soldiers on the remote Pituffik Space Base in the northwest today. The base supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the United States and NATO.

Addressing world leaders at the General Assembly just before the signing, Trump said the U.S. would “immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations,” including “building two very major military bases.”