Denmark, Greenland and the United States are expected to sign a new security agreement for Greenland on Tuesday, with Copenhagen saying NATO will take on a greater role in Arctic security.
The agreement is expected to be signed during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, although its contents have not been made public.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the arrangement would ensure that responsibility for security in the Arctic would not rest solely with Denmark or the United States.
“It (the agreement) will be in a form where responsibility for security in the Arctic is not only Danish or American,” Rasmussen told national broadcaster TV2 on Sunday.
He added that “it would be NATO that looks after the Arctic” to a large extent.
A NATO spokesperson welcomed the agreement, saying it would “help advance security, stability and cooperation in this vital region”.
Rasmussen, who travelled to New York overnight, declined to provide further details of the agreement. He said Denmark had been open from the beginning to addressing what it considers legitimate US security interests.
US President Donald Trump has described the proposed arrangement differently, saying it would give the United States “permanent control” over security in Greenland.
In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump also said no US adversary would be allowed to establish a base or military presence in Greenland without Washington’s written approval.
Denmark and Greenland have not directly endorsed that description, saying the agreement would benefit Greenland while respecting its sovereignty.
The proposed deal follows months of pressure from Trump, who has repeatedly said the United States should control Greenland and has at times declined to rule out military or economic force to acquire the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
The pressure, which intensified in January, raised tensions within NATO and prompted Denmark and Greenland to negotiate with Washington over Arctic security.
Copenhagen has acknowledged that it underinvested in Greenland’s defence for decades and has pledged to increase its military presence on the island, including through greater NATO involvement.
However, several key details of the proposed agreement remain unclear, including whether it will alter the 1951 defence agreement that provides the legal basis for the US presence in Greenland.
Greenland’s government has sought to reassure residents about the agreement.
Erik Jensen, an opposition lawmaker in Greenland, said on Facebook that he had read the draft and was reassured by its contents.
“I feel reassured and am not worried,” Jensen said, adding that Greenland’s foreign minister was handling the negotiations well.
Ojo Triumph
Follow us on:
