Trump says US has ‘permanent control’ of Greenland security: Does it?

United States President Donald Trump claims the US has reached a woody with Denmark granting it “permanent control” implicit Greenland’s information “and each different needs”.

The announcement comes much than a twelvemonth aft the US president threatened to seize the self-governing Arctic territory, which is portion of Denmark. Those threats roiled the NATO information confederation that Washington and Copenhagen are portion of.

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According to Denmark, the woody is expected to beryllium signed during adjacent week’s United Nations General Assembly gathering successful New York. Copenhagen has stressed that it retains sovereignty implicit Greenland, and this woody volition inactive request to beryllium ratified successful the Danish and Greenland parliaments.

Here’s what we cognize astir the woody and what it could mean for the US and Greenland:

What’s successful the deal?

The authoritative substance has yet to beryllium released. But according to Trump, the woody gives the US imperishable control implicit Greenland’s information and “all different needs”, astatine nary outgo to the US.

The woody bars US adversaries from establishing a subject beingness oregon making “sensitive investments” successful Greenland without US approval, said Trump.

A US Department of State authoritative cited by the BBC said the woody volition mean non-NATO states won’t beryllium capable to acceptable up bases successful Greenland and volition beryllium barred from “making investments successful Greenland that could endanger the United States”.

The authoritative said that means China and Russia won’t beryllium capable to physique bases oregon nonstop troops to Greenland, and that those states would beryllium blocked from investing “in delicate sectors”.

However, Mikkel Olesen, a elder researcher astatine the Danish Institute for International Studies, told Al Jazeera that it is improbable to beryllium a large concession due to the fact that “the Danes and Greenlanders ne'er wished for Russia oregon China to person bases successful Greenland.”

However, it is unclear whether different countries could likewise beryllium labelled “adversaries” to the US successful the future, subjecting them to these restrictions.

Trump called the woody an “‘Infinite Life’ Agreement”, meaning “it ne'er ends”.

The State Department authoritative besides said the statement gives the US the close to physique much subject sites connected the land without Greenland oregon Denmark approving. According to the official, the woody would stay successful unit adjacent if Greenland were to go an autarkic authorities successful the future.

There was nary circumstantial notation of imaginable US mining rights successful Greenland, which has a rich deposit of rare-earth minerals, including zinc, iron, uranium and graphite, that are apt to involvement Trump. These minerals are highly sought aft and are utilized successful the manufacture of hundreds of technological products, from smartphones to combatant jets.

However, immoderate observers deliberation this could beryllium what Trump means by his notation of “sensitive investments”.

The US president has sought to grow the US’s planetary entree to rare-earth metals, particularly arsenic China, a planetary person successful the technology, AI and renewables industries with 60 percent of the world’s known deposits of these minerals successful its territory, restricts their exports.

(Al Jazeera)

What person Greenland and Denmark said?

Greenland and Denmark acknowledged the woody connected Friday, but neither gave circumstantial details astir its terms. They said the statement would beryllium announced adjacent week.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said it “recognises Greenland’s interests” and is “to the payment of america all”.

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it is “great for NATO and Europe”, arsenic it “strengthens our communal information successful the Arctic and the North Atlantic Area”.

Olesen stressed that details of the woody stay unclear and that disposable accusation should beryllium taken “with a atom of salt” arsenic astir of it has truthful acold travel from the US side.

(Al Jazeera)

Does the woody springiness the US ownership of Greenland?

No, it does not conscionable Trump’s antecedently stated objective of “ownership”.

Denmark’s Frederiksen said the statement “recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the Greenlandic people’s close to self-determination”.

Olesen said the woody could beryllium affirmative for Greenland and Denmark arsenic it “has the imaginable to extremity the crisis” caused by Trump’s insistence connected acquiring Greenland past year, without sacrificing sovereignty.

Trump’s earlier threats to prehend power of Greenland were met with precocious absorption connected the land of 56,000 people. A January 2025 canvass recovered that 85 percent of Greenlanders opposed becoming portion of the US.

People protestation against Trump’s argumentation towards Greenland successful beforehand of the US Consulate successful Nuuk, Greenland, January 17 [Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo]

What subject rights does the US already person successful Greenland?

A important number. Under a 1951 treaty, the US has wide overflight and basing rights connected the island.

In summation to giving the US the close to physique bases and support personnel, the pact besides stipulates that the US tin “control landings, takeoffs, anchorages, moorings, movements, and cognition of ships, aircraft, and waterborne craft”.

As portion of the treaty, the US presently operates a Space Force basal successful a distant portion of northwestern Greenland – the Pituffik Space Base. It has much than 100 unit stationed there.

What would really alteration nether this caller agreement?

That mostly remains to beryllium seen. Trump said the US volition “immediately” statesman gathering up a ample subject beingness connected Greenland. However, the US already had the close to physique bases and nonstop unit determination nether the 1951 treaty.

Imran Bayoumi, a erstwhile Pentagon official, told the Reuters quality bureau that it would beryllium caller if the US could present physique bases unilaterally, but “it seems that Washington could person achieved a batch of these ⁠objectives done diplomacy and dialog without straining the broader US-NATO relationship.”

Trump has besides said the US volition enactment Greenlanders with “development and construction”, without elaborating.

Richard Weitz, a chap astatine the NATO Defense College, told Al Jazeera the woody “defuses possibly 1 of the astir terrible sources of interior tension” wrong NATO.

While Trump “backed down and settled for less” than helium sought with respect to Greenland, helium inactive “got beauteous overmuch everything helium wanted, but ceremonial annexation”, added Weitz.