Donald Trump has announced that he has reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland which, according to the American president, will guarantee the United States a permanent role in the security of the island and the possibility of significantly expanding its military presence. “We will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland,” Trump said.
An island rich in raw materials and rare earths
The existence of the agreement was also confirmed by the Danish government: the three governments plan to sign it next week, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. After signing, the parliamentary procedures foreseen in Denmark and Greenland will be necessary before entry into force.
However, Copenhagen used a more cautious wording than Trump. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stressed that the agreement will strengthen “common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic”, while recognizing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right to self-determination of the Greenlandic people. According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, “Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America.”
In a post on Truth, Donald Trump declared that the agreement will allow the United States “full ability to do what is necessary in Greenland” and that “no adversary of the United States will ever have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make any sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written authorization.”
According to a State Department official quoted by Reutersthe agreement will guarantee the United States permanent rights of access, military presence and overflight and will prevent non-NATO countries from building bases on the island. However, the full details of the agreement have not yet been published.
Why Greenland and the Trump Greenland Deal are so important
On the map you can see that the retreat of the ice sheet has opened up shipping lanes for periods of the year. Greenland offers a location to monitor and limit Russian and Chinese naval and submarine movements across the North Atlantic strategic maritime corridor and, with Alaska, allows it to exercise strategic control over Arctic waters.
Greenland, and Pituffik Space Base, is also crucial to the US missile shield project: it lies directly under the shortest trajectory that incoming missiles would follow passing over the North Pole to hit the US.
Finally, Greenland holds some of the world’s largest untapped reserves of rare earth minerals, including critical metals such as lithium, titanium, cobalt and nickel. These minerals are vital to advanced electronics, electric vehicle batteries and defense technology. Gaining influence over these reserves reduces U.S. dependence on China, which currently dominates the global supply chain.