U.S. to build two military bases on Greenland as part of deal

Open this photo in gallery:Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen, Greenland's leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Greenland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Múte B. Egede held a meeting at the Danish Consul General's residence in Manhattan, New York, on Monday.Mads Claus Rasmussen/The Associated PressU.S President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States will build two military bases on Greenland as part of the deal he signed Tuesday with the leaders of the Arctic island and Denmark. During a signing ceremony at the United Nations, Mr. Trump had nothing but praise for Greenland and his two counterparts − Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen of Greenland and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. His tone marked a sharp departure from years of threats to buy, annex or even invade the island, which is a semiautonomous part of the Danish realm.“This has been an amazing journey with tremendous people,” Mr. Trump said Tuesday. “We’re going to have a tremendous relationship, a secure relationship.” Afterward, he stood with the two prime ministers and told reporters: “We love the people of Greenland.”In earlier remarks to the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Trump said the agreement will ensure that “none of the United States’s adversaries will, going forward, be permitted to establish a military presence in Greenland or make sensitive investments there without our explicit, written approval.” He added that the U.S. “will immediately begin work on establishing a comprehensive military presence at the relevant locations. We will build two very large military bases.”During the signing ceremony, Ms. Frederiksen had high praise for Mr. Trump but noted that the deal “respects the serenity and the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark as well as Greenland’s right to self-determination.” The text of the agreement also recognizes “their way of life, including hunting, fishing, and other traditional, cultural, historical, future activities, and developments,” as well as the need to protect “the pristine environment of Greenland.” Ms. Frederiksen added that other NATO allies will take part in bolstering security on the island. “Our agreement today underlines the importance of the NATO alliance, and we welcome engagement and involvement in Greenland from partners and allies even more,” she said.Open this photo in gallery:A tour boat navigates a waterway near Christiansborg Palace, which houses Denmark's parliament, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sept. 19.Tom Little/ReutersMr. Nielsen echoed those comments and said the new deal builds on a security accord between the U.S. and Denmark that dates back to 1951. “With this, we build on 85 years of security co-operation, during which we have welcomed the U.S. military in our country,” Mr. Nielsen said.The deal allows the U.S. “to have military access to the territory,” including through the establishment of the “Golden Dome defense system.” The U.S. will be able to expand its current operation on Greenland, the Pituffik Space Base, which monitors communications, and will be allowed to build two more bases “in accordance with modalities and technical details to be mutually agreed” to by Denmark and Greenland, which will also work with the U.S. on any requests for unmanned military installations.The agreement says that any state or investor from a country that is not a member of NATO, a NATO partner or an EU member state will not be permitted to have control over sensitive projects “unless agreed between the parties.”The U.S. will not have a veto power over foreign investments in Greenland, but Denmark “shall engage in close consultation” with U.S. officials on any sensitive projects by adversaries. Mr. Nielsen said the deal “takes into account the people of Greenland, our rights, our livelihoods and the development of our country. This has been a key priority for us throughout this process and a welcomed outcome of what we sign here today.”The deal has no end date and will remain in force even if Greenland becomes a sovereign state.