Greenland's parliament has approved an agreement with Denmark and the United States aimed at bolstering security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, voting 16-0 on Tuesday with seven lawmakers abstaining. The deal paves the way for more US bases on the island and allows Washington to modernise and expand its activities at the Pituffik Space Base in the northwest, while Greenland remains under Danish control.
The agreement was signed in September by US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, after months of negotiations held behind the scenes.
Greenland, the world's largest island, sits between Europe and North America and has a population of 57,000. The talks ran alongside growing tensions over Trump's repeated threats to seize the resource-rich territory, and his refusal last year to rule out a military invasion caused fear among Greenlanders, the majority of whom rejected US control according to opinion polls.
Under the terms of the agreement, Greenland stays under Danish control, but the deal would still apply if the island eventually chooses independence. It stipulates that it will only enter into force once the necessary parliamentary processes of the Kingdom of Denmark, in conjunction with Greenland, have been completed. Danish lawmakers are set to debate it later this month, while no approval is required from the US Senate.
Greenlandic Foreign Minister Mute Egede said the ratification was another important step for the self-governing island. In a post on Facebook, he wrote that the road to this point had been a difficult one for Greenlanders as a people, adding: "But we have stood firm on our fundamental principles, chosen dialogue and taken responsibility for our country's interests."
"This is about all of us. The Greenland we love. About our security. And about our right to shape our own future," he said.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The vote converts a September signing into a ratified commitment from Greenland's own legislature, the step that sets up the deal's entry into force.
- More US military presence in Greenland carries weight beyond the island: the Pituffik base sits on the route between North America and Europe that the agreement is explicitly framed around.
- For Greenlanders, the deal settles, at least formally, that the island remains Danish-controlled for now, while leaving open how it would apply if independence is ever chosen.
Background
Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and the world's largest island, positioned between Europe and North America. The United States has maintained a military installation in its northwest, now known as the Pituffik Space Base. The trilateral agreement followed months of behind-the-scenes negotiations during a period of tension over Trump's repeated threats to seize the island, and it was signed at the UN General Assembly in New York in September by Trump, Frederiksen and Nielsen.
What to Watch
- Danish lawmakers are due to debate the agreement later this month; the deal cannot enter into force until the Kingdom of Denmark's parliamentary processes, in conjunction with Greenland, are completed.
- Whether the agreement's provision for more US bases, and for modernising and expanding activity at Pituffik, is followed by announced deployments or construction.
- Any moves toward Greenlandic independence, since the agreement is drafted to continue applying if the island chooses that path.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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- SupportedGreenland’s parliament approved a security agreement with Denmark and the United States, voting 16-0 with seven abstentions on Tuesday.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The deal was passed 16-0 on Tuesday, with seven lawmakers abstaining.”
- SupportedThe agreement paves the way for more US bases on Greenland.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The trilateral deal paves the way for more US bases on Greenland.”
- SupportedThe agreement aims to bolster security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “approved an agreement with Denmark and the United States aimed at bolstering security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.”
- SupportedThe deal allows the US to modernise and expand its activities at Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “It also allows the US to “modernise and expand” its activities at the Pituffik Space Base, a remote US military installation in northwest Greenland.”
- SupportedThe agreement was signed in September by Donald Trump, Mette Frederiksen and Jens-Frederik Nielsen on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The agreement was signed in September by US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.”
- SupportedThe agreement followed months of behind-the-scenes negotiations amid growing tensions over Trump's repeated threats to seize Greenland.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “It followed months of negotiations behind the scenes amid growing tensions over Trump’s repeated threats to seize the vast, resource-rich Arctic island.”
- SupportedTrump's refusal last year to rule out a military invasion caused fear among Greenlanders, most of whom rejected US control according to opinion polls.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Trump’s refusal last year to rule out a military invasion had caused fear among Greenlanders, the majority of whom rejected US control, according to opinion polls.”
- SupportedThe agreement leaves Greenland under Danish control but would still apply if Greenland eventually chooses independence.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Under its terms, Greenland will remain under Danish control – but the agreement would still apply if the island eventually chooses independence.”
- SupportedThe agreement will enter into force only after the necessary parliamentary processes of Denmark, in conjunction with Greenland, are complete.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The deal stipulates it will only “enter into force” once the “necessary parliamentary processes of the Kingdom of Denmark, in conjunction with Greenland, have been completed”.”
- SupportedDanish lawmakers are set to debate the agreement later this month, and US Senate approval is not required.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Danish lawmakers are set to debate it later this month, while no approval is required from the US Senate.”
- SupportedMute Egede said ratification was another important step for Greenland and wrote on Facebook that Greenlanders had stood firm, chosen dialogue and taken responsibility for their country's interests.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Greenlandic Foreign Minister Mute Egede said the ratification was another important step for the self-governing island. “The road to this point has been a difficult one for us as a people. But we have stood firm on our fundamental principles, chosen dialogue and taken responsibility for our country’s interests,” he wrote in a post on Facebook.”
- SupportedEgede said: “This is about all of us. The Greenland we love. About our security. And about our right to shape our own future.”Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: ““This is about all of us. The Greenland we love. About our security. And about our right to shape our own future,” he said.”
