US President Donald Trump says the United States has reached an agreement with Denmark to strengthen the American military presence in Greenland, following months of pressure to acquire the island and his refusal to rule out using force.
In a social media post, Mr Trump said the agreement would give the United States permanent control over security and other needs in Greenland. He said his administration would immediately begin developing a larger military presence on the mineral-rich Danish territory.
The office of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the agreement would be signed by the governments of the United States, Denmark and Greenland next week during the United Nations General Assembly. It said the Danish and Greenland governments must still take parliamentary action before the agreement can be enforced.
Ms Frederiksen said the proposed agreement recognised Greenland and Denmark’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while upholding both peoples’ right to self-determination. The statement did not provide further details about the scope of the planned US military expansion.
Since returning to the White House last year, Mr Trump has argued that Greenland is important to US security and called on Denmark to sell the island to the United States. Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly said Greenland is not for sale and have condemned reports of US intelligence-gathering there, according to ABC News Australia.
The US campaign for greater control of Greenland has been opposed by Russia and much of Europe. Mr Trump said the new understanding could end what Denmark regarded as an existential crisis, and said the United States looked forward to working with Denmark and Greenland while protecting the strategically important territory.