President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he has reached an agreement with Denmark to enhance the U.S. military presence in Greenland. This development comes after months of Trump signaling a willingness to take control of the island from the NATO ally by force. The details of the deal have not been disclosed, but it marks a significant shift in U.S.-Denmark relations regarding Greenland’s strategic importance.
The U.S. push for Greenland is also opposed by Russia and much of Europe.
Trump in a social media post announcing the deal said the agreement “gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many US concerns. He added that with the agreement his administration would “immediately” begin the process of developing a larger military presence on the mineral-rich Danish territory. Denmark and Greenland repeatedly said the island is not for sale and condemned reports of the US gathering intelligence there. “We look forward to working with the wonderful people of Denmark and Greenland toward a magnificent future with respect to this large, and highly strategic, parcel of land,” Trump said in his post. “We will be very protective of it!”
