US Expands Military Footprint in Greenland

By Staff, Agencies

The US is set to establish a military presence at two additional sites in Greenland under a security agreement with Denmark and the self-governing Arctic territory, according to media reports, as Copenhagen stresses that the deal does not transfer Danish sovereignty.

US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen are expected to sign the agreement at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday. While its full text has not been released, reports indicate Washington plans to expand its military footprint imminently.

Reuters, citing people familiar with the negotiations, reported that the US plans to reopen the former Cold War-era Bluie West One base at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and establish a presence at Mestersvig on the east coast.

Mestersvig is currently used by Denmark’s Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, an elite military unit tasked with reconnaissance and enforcing Danish sovereignty in the remote Arctic. Trump has repeatedly criticized Copenhagen’s reliance on the patrol, arguing it shows Denmark is failing to adequately protect Greenland.

Trump has described the agreement as giving the US “permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland.” He has also said no American adversary would be allowed to establish a base, military presence or make sensitive investments on the island without Washington’s approval.

Denmark, however, has stressed that the arrangement does not transfer sovereignty over Greenland to the US. Frederiksen said the agreement recognizes “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark,” as well as Greenland’s right to self-determination.

Copenhagen has presented the deal as a way to strengthen NATO’s role in Arctic security rather than transfer control to Washington. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Copenhagen remains willing to accommodate legitimate US security interests while maintaining its established “red lines.”

The agreement follows months of tensions over Trump’s repeated demands for US control of Greenland, including his refusal at times to rule out military or economic pressure. Both Copenhagen and Nuuk have firmly rejected any transfer of the territory.

The US already has extensive military access under a 1951 defense agreement amended in 2004. During the Cold War, Washington operated 17 installations and stationed more than 10,000 personnel in Greenland. Today, its presence is concentrated at Pituffik Space Base, where around 150 US personnel are stationed.