The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said this Friday (the 18th) that he had struck an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that guarantees the United States permanent control over security issues in Greenland “forever.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the understanding fully addresses “all American concerns” and ensures the United States a “permanent” capacity to operate in Greenland to defend the security interests of both the island and the United States itself.
According to the U.S. president, the agreement would also prevent countries considered adversaries of Washington from establishing military bases, maintaining a military presence, or undertaking investments deemed sensitive without express authorization from the United States.
“From now on, no adversary of the United States will ever have a base in Greenland, maintain a military presence in Greenland, or undertake sensitive investments in Greenland without our explicit written approval,” wrote Trump.
The Republican described the understanding as an “infinite-life” agreement, with no expiration date, and said the measure resolves a strategic issue that, in his view, has been acknowledged by American presidents for over a century.
Trump also announced that the United States will immediately begin a process to expand its military presence in Greenland. According to the president, there will be investments in infrastructure and local development in partnership with the island’s inhabitants.
“We will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland,” he stated.
Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, occupies a strategic position in the Arctic by lying between North America and Europe and by its proximity to sea routes that have been gaining importance as polar ice recedes. The region also attracts increasing interest from major powers due to its mineral potential and relevance to North Atlantic security.
In recent months, Trump has repeatedly spoken about Greenland’s importance to American interests. During his current term, he has again argued for an expanded U.S. presence in the region, contending that the island is fundamental to American national security in a context of rising geopolitical competition in the Arctic.
In the message posted on Friday, the president said the agreement represents a “dream realized” for the United States and described the announcement as a “historic and special” event.
“This solution is excellent for the United States of America, for Denmark, for Greenland, and for all of our allies,” wrote Trump. “We will protect it zealously.”
Before the announcement, two sources familiar with the negotiations told Reuters that the United States and Denmark were close to a possible agreement that would expand the American military presence in Greenland, but would fall short of Trump’s ambition to acquire the island. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the discussions included mechanisms to allow the use of Greenland territory by the Golden Dome, the missile defense system the U.S. government plans to build, as well as measures to limit China’s presence and influence on the island.
(Reuters)
