Greenland deal: What did the US and Denmark actually agree to?

Over the weekend, the United States, Denmark, and Greenland announced an agreement that, at first blush, didn’t seem to agree at all.President Donald Trump has long coveted Greenland for its strategic location and mineral wealth, even threatening to invade. The new deal, he said in a social media post, “gives the United States permanent control over security and all other needs in Greenland.”Denmark and Greenland touted the deal as similarly historic, but Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it recognizes “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom [of Denmark] and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.” Details should emerge this week as both sides prepare to sign the deal at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. But it appears the agreement is an updated version of a pact signed between Greenland and NATO in 1951, which gives the United States new assurances and clearance for an expanded role.For example, while the Greenlandic government remains in control of its own affairs, the deal “guarantees that China and Russia cannot have a base in Greenland, they cannot send troops to Greenland, and the necessary mechanisms are in place to prevent investment in sensitive sectors,” such as minerals, a U.S. State Department official said according to Euractiv.With Greenland inching toward independence, the agreement also appears to ensure the provisions will remain in force even if the island leaves its role as a semiautonomous territory in the kingdom of Denmark. Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix/Sipa/AP/FilePituffik Space Base in northern Greenland, shown here in October 2023, used to be known as Thule Air Base. Its name was changed in part because it is no longer manned by personnel from the U.S. Air Force, but instead by the U.S. Space Force, which was established in December 2019. As a part of the arrangement, the United States is expected to open two new bases in Greenland. It currently operates Pituffik Space Base in the far north of the island. The U.S. had as many as 17 bases on Greenland during the Cold War. The hope in Denmark and Greenland is that the agreement will mark the end of a tumultuous year in which Denmark faced the prospect of fighting the U.S. to defend the island.“There is a big sigh of relief because this seems to be over,” says Jørgen Ullerup, a longtime reporter for Denmark’s Jyllands-Posten newspaper and author of “Harpoon Warriors,” a novel about a future invasion of Greenland. Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. The episode has brought Denmark and Greenland closer together despite a fraught colonial past. But it has left a negative mark on Danish-American relations.“The Danish people have been among the most pro-American people in Europe,” says Mr. Ullerup. “Now, we’re among the most anti-American.” ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LoginReal news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.