U.S., Greenlandic, and Danish negotiators have spent the past four months holding confidential talks in Washington on Greenland’s future, centered on expanding America’s military and economic role on the Arctic island.
The United States is seeking to revise its longstanding defense arrangement with Denmark to ensure American troops could remain in Greenland indefinitely, even if the territory becomes independent. The U.S. is also pushing for effective veto power over major foreign investment deals in Greenland.
The talks, led by State Department adviser Michael Needham, also include cooperation on Greenland’s natural resources, including oil, uranium, and rare earth minerals. The Pentagon is moving ahead with military expansion planning, including sending a Marine Corps officer to inspect infrastructure in southern Greenland for potential troop housing and operations.
Gen. Gregory Guillot, head of U.S. Northern Command, said Greenland would be part of a chain of interlinking radar stations and military bases across the Arctic, connected with sites in Alaska and Canada. He also said the U.S. would need a deepwater port and a rotating Special Operations presence under the 1951 U.S.-Denmark defense pact, which is serving as the basis for the talks.
President Trump’s special envoy Jeff Landry arrived in Nuuk on Sunday ahead of the “Future Greenland” business conference, where he is expected to attend meetings focused on expanding economic ties and U.S.-Greenland relations. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has confirmed increased U.S. military presence remains part of ongoing negotiations.
Sources: Reuters / The New York Times
