Denmark welcomes Trump's announcement of agreement on Greenland: Enhances Arctic security
Denmark has welcomed the agreement on Greenland, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump as having been reached with Copenhagen, which grants Washington “permanent control” over the security of the polar island and prevents Russia and China from establishing bases there, describing it as “binding.”
Both Denmark and Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, welcomed the agreement and stated they would sign it on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said on Saturday in a social media post: “We hope that a binding agreement will replace a long period of uncertainty, enhancing security in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.”
He affirmed that the agreement respects Denmark’s “red lines,” considering it “important” in light of changing security conditions.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the agreement in a statement as “recognizing at the same time the sovereignty of the Kingdom and its territorial integrity, and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.”
Trump had previously posted on his Truth Social platform: “I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has reached an agreement with the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland, granting the United States permanent control over security and all other needs in Greenland.”
He added: “From now on, no adversary of the United States will ever be able to establish a base in Greenland, have a military presence there, or make sensitive investments there, without our explicit written consent.”
He emphasized: “It is an agreement for an indefinite period, with no end,” noting that Washington would immediately begin establishing a robust military presence in the territory. Trump has repeatedly warned of Russian and Chinese attempts to gain a foothold in Greenland amid intensifying strategic competition in the warming Arctic region, while the U.S. State Department has affirmed that neither country will be allowed to do so.
A State Department official, who requested anonymity, said the agreement “ensures that China and Russia cannot establish bases in Greenland or send troops there, and provides the necessary mechanisms to prevent investment in sensitive sectors.”
Trump had reached an agreement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January regarding Greenland’s future, though its terms remained vague.
Frederiksen confirmed on Friday the existence of “prospects for reaching a good agreement for Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the United States,” adding that the deal is “good for NATO and for Europe.”
For his part, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen said the agreement “strengthens” the security of the territory.
