The exact terms of the agreement between the United States, Denmark, and Greenland on security in the Arctic island, announced with great fanfare by Donald Trump on his Truth Social network, are not yet known, pending its expected signing next week during the UN General Assembly in New York.
Read more NATO celebrates the Greenland agreement for its importance to Arctic security
However, the narrative launched by the U.S. president that Washington will have “permanent control over security and all its other needs in Greenland” is spreading rapidly around the world.
In Trump’s view, the pact implies that no adversary country will ever be able to have a military base or presence or make sensitive investments on the vast island of 2.16 million square kilometers without the express written approval of the White House. It is unclear how these maximalist claims align with the bilateral agreement of 1951, still in force, which already grants the United States broad leeway simply by notifying Copenhagen of its intentions.
For now, Copenhagen and Nuuk tactfully let Trump enjoy his success narrative, only clarifying that the agreement recognizes Danish sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Greenland
Catapulted onto the geopolitical tension map due to Trump’s expansionist ambitions, who even invoked the use of force to take control of the island, Greenland is watched sideways and with great interest by Russia and China. The powers covet its strategic position in the Arctic; its minerals and rare earths buried under the ice; its untapped oil reserves; and its potential for maritime and commercial routes due to the thaw brought by the climate crisis. It may be that the real crux of this pact is the veto on any foreign economic presence in Greenland that is not to the liking of the United States.
For now, both Copenhagen and Nuuk, which issued a statement early Saturday confirming the agreement but without giving details about its content, have made some clarifications but remain conciliatory.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen clarified that it is about strengthening “our shared security” in the Arctic and the North Atlantic, something also positive for NATO and Europe, and that the agreement “recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of the Danish kingdom and “the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.” Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen emphasized the recognition of his country’s new role – a territory with self-government within the Kingdom of Denmark – in the community of nations.
Read more Barça is looking for an investor to build the new Palau Blaugrana
During the crisis unleashed over many months by Trump’s harassment, Denmark and Greenland have cooperated closely like never before in their history, marked by the wounds of more than two centuries of colonization and unjust postcolonial treatment, including racism against the Inuit population.
Copenhagen and Nuuk have cooperated as equals, both in negotiations with Washington, carried out by Danish and Greenlandic diplomats and officials side by side, and in the staging of warnings and progress. There is a strong desire in both capitals to resolve this regrettable matter.
Everything points to Frederiksen and Nielsen having no objection right now to Trump enjoying his victorious narrative for his domestic market ahead of the midterms, the midterm legislative elections.
The only remaining fear is that the outspoken White House occupant might say something offensive to Copenhagen and Nuuk during the time between the signing of the agreement and the parliamentary ratification procedures in each country, which could blow up the new possible calm around the Arctic island.
