The US wants unrestricted military access to Greenland and not to inform Denmark of what they are doing on the island
Trump looks out the window towards Greenland: the image posted by the White House on social networks. PHOTO: White House/Facebook
The United States wants to revise its defense agreement with Denmark to remove any restrictions on the American military presence in Greenland, Bloomberg reported on Friday, as cited by Meduza.
The treaty in question dates back to 1951 and gives the US military broad access to Greenland for operations, including building and operating military bases. However, the agreement stipulates that the US must “inform” and consult with Denmark and Greenland before making “any significant changes” to military operations and installations.
According to Bloomberg sources, American negotiators want to modify this wording to ensure that the US does not face restrictions in implementing the Pentagon's plans. Bloomberg points out that the details of the agreement are still being discussed.
In an interview with Fox Business on Thursday, Trump said the United States would have “all the military access we want” in Greenland and that “we get everything we want at no cost.”
Bloomberg notes that it remains unclear whether Denmark and Greenland will agree to such changes. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark and Greenland were open to “a further extension” of the 1951 treaty, but gave no further details.
Denmark would retain sovereignty over Greenland, although many details of the plan still remain unclear
As part of a potential deal with Greenland, an initiative to ban non-NATO countries from obtaining mining rights for rare minerals on the island is also being discussed, The New York Times reports, citing sources. According to them, that provision mainly targets China and Russia.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Thursday that the framework agreement for Greenland that he agreed with the US president does not have any provision related to the exploitation of the island's mineral resources, and that this topic will be the subject of trilateral talks between Washington, Nuuk and Copenhagen.
Axios previously reported that the Greenland agreement would maintain Denmark's sovereignty over the island. The US will be given expanded rights to build bases and establish “defense zones”. In addition, the US is expected to be able to deploy elements of the Golden Dome air defense system, an anti-missile shield desired by Donald Trump, to Greenland. According to Axios sources, the agreement also includes opportunities for joint exploitation with Denmark of the island's natural resources.
President Donald Trump has spoken out several times in recent weeks about US claims to Greenland. He invoked national security measures in response to Russian and Chinese threats and insisted that Denmark was unable to defend the island.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, Trump said for the first time that he would not use force against Greenland, but that the United States still intended to take control of the island.
