Trump Announces Deal to Expand U.S. Military Presence in Greenland

President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States has reached a deal with Denmark to expand the U.S. military presence in Greenland, while keeping the Arctic island under Danish control.

In a social media post announcing the agreement, Trump said the emerging deal would give the United States “permanent control over security” and other needs in Greenland, addressing what he described as U.S. concerns. He also said his administration would immediately begin the process of developing a larger U.S. military presence on the mineral-rich Danish territory.

The agreement followed months of quiet negotiations involving U.S., Danish and Greenlandic officials, who sought ways to address the Trump administration’s security concerns regarding the strategically important Arctic territory. Greenland has a population of roughly 56,000 people.

Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in gaining control of Greenland and previously threatened to use force to take the territory from Denmark, a NATO ally. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s office said the agreement is expected to be signed by the governments of the United States, Denmark and Greenland next week during the United Nations General Assembly. However, parliamentary approval in Denmark and Greenland will still be required before the agreement can take effect.

The Greenland issue had receded somewhat from the center of Trump’s foreign policy agenda as his administration became involved in other international conflicts, including a U.S. military operation targeting the government of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The agreement gives Trump a foreign policy development to highlight ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. The six-month-old conflict with Iran has also affected domestic political debate over Trump’s campaign pledge to avoid becoming involved in foreign wars.

The deal could lead to a significantly expanded U.S. military presence in the Arctic, an increasingly important region for security, defense and access to natural resources. Its implementation, however, will depend on the required legislative approvals in Denmark and Greenland.

Source: AP