President Trump said Friday he has struck a deal to give the United States “permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland,” following a push by the president to boost the U.S.’ influence over the Danish-controlled island — or, if possible, take it over.
The governments of Denmark and Greenland confirmed that they reached a deal. Details are sparse, but the deal does not appear to constitute an outright U.S. takeover of the territory — an idea that Mr. Trump had previously backed, rattling Denmark and other NATO members.
A State Department official told CBS News the U.S. was guaranteed permanent access to the island and overflight rights, allowing the military to potentially increase the number of bases. The deal also blocks non-NATO members from establishing military bases, and restricts American adversaries from making sensitive investments in Greenland, the official said.
The deal is set to remain in place permanently, “even if Greenland becomes a fully independent country,” the State Department official said.
Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post he plans to boost the U.S.’s presence in Greenland. The Arctic island has hosted a U.S. base on its western coast since the 1950s.
“We will immediately begin the process of developing a large Military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland, of which there are many,” Mr. Trump said. “We will work with the people of Greenland in its development and construction.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the deal a “huge win.”
“Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area,” he said in a statement. “This deal permanently and completely addresses our national security concerns in Greenland.”
Mr. Trump said in January he and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte had formed “the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland.” It’s not clear whether the agreement announced Friday stemmed from those discussions with NATO.
In a statement, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s office said the U.S., Danish and Greenlandic governments are planning to sign the deal next week, when scores of world leaders will be in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly. It will also need to go through “necessary parliamentary procedures” in Denmark.
“I am pleased that there is a prospect of a good agreement for Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States,” Frederiksen said. She added that the deal “strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area and is thus also good for NATO and Europe,” and “recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.”
Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, called the deal “gratifying.”
“The agreement recognizes Greenland’s interests and our place in international cooperation. It is for the benefit of us all,” he said in a statement shared by Frederiksen’s office.
