Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had secured “permanent control” of the security of the Arctic territory against Denmark and Greenland, a territory he suggested last year could be directly annexed by the United States.
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The agreement, which the U.S. president detailed on his Truth Social platform, is specifically designed to prevent any “adversary” of Washington from establishing a military presence in Greenland or making sensitive investments there without U.S. approval.
This provision targets China and Russia, as later clarified by the U.S. State Department.
“This agreement ensures that China and Russia cannot have a base in Greenland, that they cannot send troops there, and that the necessary mechanisms exist to prevent any investment in sensitive sectors,” said a State Department official on condition of anonymity.
Donald Trump also announced that the United States “would immediately begin the process of developing a significant military presence.”
An agreement with an “indefinite duration”
The agreement, with an “indefinite duration,” will have “no cost” for Washington, assured the Republican leader, calling it “a dream come true.”
According to Greenland and Denmark, the agreement will be signed next week within the framework of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Copenhagen hailed the agreement as “beneficial for NATO and Europe,” while the Prime Minister of Greenland stated that it “strengthens” the security of the territory.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described it as a commitment that “addresses all our national security concerns regarding Greenland.”
A 1951 defense agreement, updated in 2004, already granted the U.S. armed forces practically free rein to deploy facilities in Greenland, provided they notified the authorities.
The issue of this vast Danish autonomous territory, in the heart of a coveted Arctic region, has become a diplomatically explosive topic since Donald Trump expressed his interest.
According to several media outlets, the United States wants to open three new military bases in southern Greenland, in addition to the Pituffik base it already maintains in the north of the territory.
Donald Trump’s ambitions regarding Greenland have unsettled Europeans, who suddenly feel threatened by a power they have always trusted for their military protection.
At the height of the crisis, the U.S. president even raised the possibility of “using force” to seize the territory of 57,000 inhabitants, sowing concern in the EU and NATO.
Tensions only eased thanks to the creation of a working group between Denmark, Greenland, and the United States, which drafted the agreement announced on Friday.
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