Denmark and Greenland’s leaders appeared cautiously optimistic a day after President Trump announced a new security deal that would bolster U.S. military presence in a NATO ally’s semiautonomous territory.
Mr. Trump announced on Friday he struck a deal to give the U.S. “permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many U.S. concerns.”
Denmark and the U.S. already have a long-standing security agreement that has allowed the U.S. to deploy forces in Greenland, and it was not immediately clear how this deal was different.
The agreement is expected to be signed in New York City on Tuesday when world leaders will be in town for the United Nations General Assembly, two U.S. officials told CBS News.
However, the office of Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said parliamentary action is still needed by the Danish and Greenland governments before it can be enforced.
“Next week could be a good week … for Greenland, Denmark, and the United States alike,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen wrote in an Instagram post Saturday morning.
“A period of uncertainty will hopefully be replaced by a binding agreement that strengthens security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic — and thus also our shared security within NATO and Europe — while respecting the Kingdom’s red lines,” he added.
Greenland’s government leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said he was happy about the deal, which he said “benefits not only our collective security, but also the continued development here in the country.”
Greenland’s foreign minister, Múte B. Egede, said he was pleased that “we now have an agreement within reach.”
“It has taken some time,” he told Denmark’s TV2 broadcaster. “I’m pleased that we finally have an end product within reach. And it’s about time.”
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A State Department official told CBS News the U.S. was guaranteed permanent access to the island and overflight rights, allowing the military to potentially increase the number of bases. The deal also blocks non-NATO members from establishing military bases, and restricts American adversaries from making sensitive investments in Greenland, the official said.
A NATO spokesperson said the military alliance welcomed the deal, which would “help advance security, stability and cooperation in this vital region,” CBS News partner BBC News reported.
Mr. Trump said that with the agreement, the U.S. would “immediately” begin the process of developing a larger military presence on the mineral-rich Danish territory.
The U.S. had long held several bases and installations on the Arctic territory through the Cold War, before dialing back its presence.
It still operates the remote Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, built after the U.S. and Denmark signed the Defense of Greenland Treaty in 1951. It supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO.
Denmark and Greenland did not explicitly confirm any of the specifics in Mr. Trump’s statements, nor did they provide details regarding the content of the agreement or the rights and obligations of the parties.
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U.S., Greenlandic and Danish officials had quietly negotiated for months behind the scenes, searching for solutions to address some of Mr. Trump’s security concerns about a territory of roughly 56,000 residents.
With the announcement of the pact, Mr. Trump is able to tout a foreign policy achievement ahead of the midterm elections in the U.S.
After his return to the White House, Mr. Trump had called on Denmark to sell the island to the U.S., while insisting Greenland is crucial for U.S. security. He pointedly wouldn’t rule out taking the island by military force, even though Denmark is a NATO ally of the U.S.
Denmark and Greenland repeatedly said the island is not for sale and condemned reports of the U.S. gathering intelligence there. The U.S. push for Greenland was also fiercely opposed by Russia and much of Europe.
Greenland grassroots pro-sovereignty activist Orla Joelsen wrote on X that “our fight against Trump’s ambition to take over Greenland has been won.”
“The new agreement explicitly recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination,” the activist added.
In Denmark, many expressed relief that a deal with the U.S. seemed close.
Michael Burgaard from Gentofte, north of the Danish capital of Copenhagen, was hopeful the crisis was over “because just a fortnight ago, Donald Trump posted this map showing Greenland … as part of the U.S.”
“We were kind of worried that he would take all of Greenland by force,” added the 56-year-old telecommunications worker. “So, the fact that we can settle this in a diplomatic way … I think it’s good.”
Michael Frees, a 51-year-old high school teacher in Copenhagen, said he thinks the agreement is “the most realistic solution for us right now.”
“We are a small nation and of course we have to cooperate with bigger countries and also the European Union,” he said.
