In brief
- Trump's agreement with Denmark falls short of his goal to acquire Greenland for the US.
- The deal allows the US to expand its military presence on the island.
The United States, Denmark and Greenland have entered into an agreement for the US to develop a significant military presence on Greenland, while prohibiting US adversaries from building their own bases on the island, Donald Trump said on Friday.
In a Truth Social post, the US president wrote that no US enemies would be able to make sensitive investments on the island without the approval of the United States and that the agreement had no expiry date.
"At my direction, we worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the security of Greenland, and the United States of America," Trump wrote.
Earlier on Friday, Reuters exclusively reported that the US and Greenland were closing in on a deal that would result in an increased US military presence, but would stop well short of Trump's long-held dream of acquiring the island for the United States.
Trump's Saturday morning announcement suggests he was nonetheless pleased with the outcome of the negotiations, and that he may not revive his territorial claims, at least in the near future.
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He said, without elaborating, that the US would soon be rolling out a large military presence on the island, which already hosts one Space Force base in its remote northwest.
"This is a dream come true for the United States of America," Trump wrote.
Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said the deal "strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area," adding that it was expected to be signed on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next week.
She said the agreement "recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom (of Denmark) and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination."
Rubio says deal addresses security concerns
Much was unclear as of Saturday morning, including whether any new US bases would be constructed as a result of the agreement. Trump's Truth Social posts about negotiations or agreements often lack context or specifics.
The US already has nearly total overflight and basing rights in Greenland due to a 1951 treaty.
It was also unclear how the agreement would be received in Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. The island's residents aspire to independence and have bristled at US attempts to assert hegemony.
In a separate statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the deal "permanently and completely" addressed the US's national security concerns with respect to the island.
"Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area," he wrote.
A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss specific terms, said the deal prohibits non-NATO countries from building a base in Greenland, and will allow only the US and its allies to make unspecified "sensitive investments."
The official said the agreement grants the US permanent access, basing and overflight rights, and would continue to apply even if Greenland becomes independent.
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