President Donald Trump announced Friday he has a deal with Denmark to bolster the U.S. military presence in Greenland after months of threatening to take the island by force from the NATO ally — an agreement that also keeps the Arctic territory in Denmark's hands. Trump in a social media post announcing the deal said the emerging agreement "gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many U.S. concerns." He added that with the agreement his administration would "immediately" begin the process of developing a larger military presence on the mineral-rich Danish territory. The deal came after officials from U.S., Greenland and Denmark quietly negotiated for months behind the scenes, searching for solutions to address some of Trump's security concerns about a territory of roughly 56,000 residents.
For Trump, the Greenland issue had largely been put on the back burner as he launched a military operation to oust former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power and joined with Israel to start a war against Iran. With the announcement of the pact, Trump is able to tout a foreign policy achievement ahead of the midterm elections. The six-month-old Iran conflict has reshaped the race, undermining Trump's campaign pledge to steer clear of foreign conflicts and challenging Republicans as they cling to narrow majorities in Congress.
The office of Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said the deal will be signed by all three governments next week during the United Nations General Assembly, but parliamentary action is still needed by the Danish and Greenland governments before it can be enforced. In a statement she said "the agreement recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Greenland and Denmark and upholds both people's right "to self-determination." Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the emerging deal benefits all three governments and "recognizes Greenland's interests." With his return to the White House last year, Trump called on Denmark to sell the island to the United States, while insisting Greenland is crucial for U.S. security. He pointedly wouldn't rule out taking the island by military force, even though Denmark is a NATO ally of the U.S.
Denmark and Greenland repeatedly said the island is not for sale and condemned reports of the U.S. gathering intelligence there. The U.S. push for Greenland was also fiercely opposed by Russia and much of Europe. But Trump with the announcement Friday suggested an understanding may have been reached that could bring an end to what was viewed as an existential crisis by Denmark.
"We look forward to working with the wonderful people of Denmark and Greenland toward a magnificent future with respect to this large, and highly strategic, parcel of land," Trump said in his post. "We will be very protective of it!" Trump had claimed the U.S. needs Greenland to deter threats from Russia and China, and has repeatedly made false claims of Chinese and Russian military forces lurking off the island's coastline. The agreement bans any non-NATO base in Greenland, limits adversaries from being able to make investments in Greenland and guarantees that China and Russia cannot have a base in Greenland, according to a State Department official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio cheered the statement as a "historic deal" and "huge win" for the United States. "Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area," Rubio said. "This deal permanently and completely addresses our national security concerns in Greenland." But the U.S. has long had a military presence in Greenland, holding several bases and installations through the Cold War before dialing back its presence.
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