Eight months after Donald Trump almost destroyed NATO by threatening to annex Greenland — by force, if necessary — he signed what he called a “fantastic” new deal that would give the U.S. all the control and military access it needs over the Danish territory. European allies were so alarmed by Trump’s apparent determination to take the territory at the start of the year — and his threat of 25% tariffs on anyone who got in his way — that they began talking about a future for the West without America. In many ways, the transatlantic relationship has not been the same since.
Tuesday’s agreement on security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, signed at the United Nations by Trump and the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark, ends the dispute. But what exactly is in the deal? And who are the winners and losers from months of high-stakes talks?
This new agreement, which still needs ratification by Danish and Greenlandic lawmakers, is not, in fact, completely new. Instead, it sets out to “amend and supplement” an earlier deal between the U.S. and Denmark dating back to 1951. Many experts have been saying for months that this earlier agreement gave Trump most of what he said he wanted in terms of more or less unfettered freedom to set up military bases and police the region’s security.
One key difference this time is that Greenland itself is a signatory. The opening part of the text reaffirms the signatories’ commitments to abide by international law, respect Danish territory, fulfill NATO’s responsibilities, and uphold the rights of Greenlanders. Much of the rest of the text focuses on American military and civilian access to Greenland and plans to establish U.S. military facilities there.
Trump promised to build two “very major” bases in Greenland. According to the text released by the Danish government, the two touted new American bases aren’t entirely new either, at least in terms of their locations. One will be at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland, which was the former American Bluie West One base that closed in the 1950s.
And the other is Mestersvig in eastern Greenland, which is currently home to Denmark’s Sirius Dog Sled Patrol unit and would be refurbished. Under the deal, the U.S. military will have “free access” to air, land and sea routes on and around Greenland between the two bases. Greenland is already home to the U.S.
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