The United States’ President Donald Trump, says the United States, Denmark and Greenland have reached an agreement allowing Washington to expand its military presence on the island while barring US adversaries from establishing bases there.
He disclosed this on Friday in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying the agreement gives the United States permanent access, basing and overflight rights in Greenland.
Trump said the agreement would have no expiry date, describing it as “a dream come true for the United States of America.”
He added that the US would soon establish a significant military presence on the island, which already hosts a US Space Force base in northwestern Greenland.
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The agreement falls short of Trump’s previous calls for the United States to acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
The United States already has broad overflight and basing rights in Greenland under a 1951 defence agreement with Denmark.
The Danish prime minister’s office said the agreement would strengthen security in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the agreement recognised Greenland’s interests and its place in international cooperation.
“This benefits us all,” he stated
However, details of the agreement remain unclear, including whether new US military bases will be built on the island.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agreement “permanently and completely” addresses US security concerns regarding Greenland.
Rubio added that Greenland would remain part of North America’s strategic defence area and adversaries would be excluded from the island’s surrounding area.
A US State Department official said the agreement prohibits non-NATO countries from building bases in Greenland which allows the United States and its allies to make unspecified sensitive investments.
The agreement would also continue to apply if Greenland becomes independent, the official added.
