The United States, Greenland and Denmark have signed a trilateral agreement aimed at easing tensions over Greenland and expanding security cooperation in the Arctic.
The agreement falls short of earlier US demands for Greenland to become a US territory but allows Washington to increase its military presence on the strategically located island amid growing concerns over Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic.
Under the agreement, the United States can establish a missile defence system in Greenland to counter potential ballistic missile threats. The island’s location provides a strategic route between Europe and North America and is already home to the northernmost US military installation.
The agreement also allows for the development of additional US military facilities at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, alongside the existing base in northwestern Greenland.
The three sides said the arrangement strengthens security cooperation within Nato while recognising Greenland’s right to self-determination.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, is strategically positioned between the Arctic and North America and is believed to have significant energy and mineral resources.
The agreement modifies a 1951 defence treaty that provides the legal framework for the US military presence in Greenland. It allows Washington to seek additional military facilities in the future, subject to mutual agreement.
The deal does not include an expiry date and provides US aircraft and vessels broad access to Greenland and its territorial waters. It also prohibits non-Nato countries from establishing military installations on the island.
Foreign investment in strategically sensitive sectors, including critical infrastructure and resource extraction, will also face restrictions on investors from outside Nato, Nato partner countries and the European Union.
The agreement still requires approval from the parliaments of Denmark and Greenland before taking effect.
The deal represents a shift from earlier proposals for outright US control of Greenland and marks the first significant expansion of US military infrastructure on the island since the Cold War.
During the Cold War, the United States maintained numerous military installations and thousands of personnel in Greenland. The new agreement could significantly increase the US security and military presence in the Arctic region.
