United States, Denmark, Greenland Sign Arctic Security Deal

The United States, Denmark and Greenland signed an Arctic security agreement on Sept. 22 at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, expanding Washington's military footprint on the Danish territory, according to Al Jazeera, which cited reporting from AFP and AP.

What does the agreement allow the U.S. to do in Greenland?

The pact lets Washington "modernise and expand" operations at the existing Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland, Al Jazeera reported. It also permits U.S. aircraft to fly over and land anywhere on the island, including its territorial waters, and grants what the outlet described as "undersea access." President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly 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."

Where will the new U.S. bases be located?

According to Al Jazeera, new bases will be established at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and Mestersvig in the east, with an option to "establish additional defense areas" later. The agreement does not carry an end date, the outlet reported.

Who can operate militarily in Greenland under the deal?

The agreement bars any non-NATO country from setting up military installations or a "persistent" military presence in Greenland without unanimous approval from Denmark, Greenland and the United States, Al Jazeera reported. It also restricts investment in "sensitive sectors" by parties outside NATO and the European Union — a provision aimed, according to the report, at limiting Chinese and Russian access to the island.

Al Jazeera correspondent Rosiland Jordan, reporting from UN headquarters, said the deal "does give Washington a great deal of what it wants: a military presence and the ability to keep rival nations, notably China and Russia, off." Jordan added that "the Danish government and the Greenland government will maintain sovereignty over Greenland's territory, but the U.S. will have essentially veto power over what other countries are able to come to the island."

What happens if Greenland becomes independent?

Under the terms reported by Al Jazeera, if Greenland were to gain independence from Denmark, it would remain a NATO member and assume Denmark's obligations under the agreement, preserving Washington's access regardless of a future change in the island's political status.

What led to the agreement?

The signing follows what Al Jazeera described as a months-long standoff after Trump threatened to seize Greenland, prompting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to warn that a U.S. takeover would end the NATO alliance. Trump signed the deal alongside Frederiksen and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, calling it "tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody" and predicting the outcome for Greenland "is going to be incredible," per Al Jazeera's account.

The outlet reported that NATO and the European Union welcomed the accord. The U.S. has maintained a military presence in Greenland since 1945, according to Al Jazeera, and the new agreement expands that footprint as competition with Russia and China in the Arctic intensifies.