FOCUS – Trump and Denmark reach agreement on Greenland

– The U.S. and Denmark have announced a new agreement on the security of Greenland, after months of tensions sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s statements about taking control of the Arctic territory, the BBC writes.

Trump said the agreement gives the United States “permanent control” over Greenland’s security and other needs, saying Washington will be able to undertake what it deems necessary for the island’s defense.

According to him, the agreement will come at no cost to the U.S.

Danish and Greenlandic authorities, for their part, have stressed that the agreement does not affect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, and recognizes the right of the people of Greenland to self-determination.

The full details of the agreement have not yet been made public. According to published information, it foresees an expanded U.S. military presence in Greenland and preventing adversarial countries, particularly Russia and China, from establishing military bases or making sensitive investments in the territory.

The agreement is expected to be signed next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York and will then be subject to parliamentary procedures in Denmark and Greenland.

The announcement marks a significant development after Trump’s repeated threats to take Greenland, which had caused strong tensions in U.S.–Denmark relations and within NATO. Greenland remains an autonomous territory under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark.