US and Denmark reach landmark agreement on Greenland
Andy Burnham has commended Denmark and the US after the two nations reached a new agreement over Greenland to “strengthen security in the Arctic,” reports BritPanorama.
Downing Street confirmed that the prime minister and his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, “welcomed the US’ commitment to the region” during a telephone call on Sunday morning.
In a readout, a No 10 spokesperson noted that the two leaders began by discussing their upcoming visits to New York for the UN General Assembly (UNGA). “The prime minister said he would use the trip to drive forward work on issues that matter to people at home, including reducing the cost of living through greater global stability and delivering security for people through closer international partnerships,” the spokesperson added.
On defence, they covered the imminent signing of a new deal to bolster security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area between the US, Greenland, and Denmark, set to occur this week. “They welcomed the US’ commitment to the region and underlined the strategic and shared importance of the High North for Euro-Atlantic security,” stated the spokesperson.
Burnham expressed congratulations to Frederiksen and the Kingdom of Denmark on negotiating a deal beneficial to the US, Greenland, and Denmark and mentioned that he would pass on his congratulations to President Trump.
During their conversation, the leaders also addressed the situation in Ukraine, with Burnham hoping to make further progress in enhancing support for the country during the UNGA and in the weeks ahead. “The leaders agreed to stay in close touch,” the spokesperson concluded.
In response, Sir Ed Davey claimed that Trump’s Greenland deal is a “pretend” victory, noting it closely resembles existing agreements from the 1950s. “Donald Trump is trying to claim he’s got a success in Greenland, but actually, all he’s got is almost a carbon copy of the agreement that’s persisted since the 1950s,” he remarked during a party conference.
On Saturday, Trump announced the agreement with Denmark to amplify America’s military presence in Greenland, following months of threats to seize the territory from the NATO ally. On Friday, the United States, Denmark, and Greenland jointly stated they had reached the agreement, allowing for a broadening of the US military footprint in the self-governing Danish territory while preventing adversary nations from establishing bases there.
Details regarding the scale of the planned military build-up and the extent of any formal authority over foreign policy and resources to be ceded to Washington remain undisclosed.
Leaders from Denmark and Greenland expressed hope that the pact, expected to be formalized during the UN General Assembly next week, would alleviate the uncertainty caused by Trump’s earlier threats. Trump elaborated on Truth Social, stating that under this deal, “the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the security of Greenland, and the United States of America.”
Furthermore, Danish and Greenlandic leaders aimed to reassure their citizens that the agreement would uphold Greenland’s right to self-determination and the sovereignty of the Danish kingdom.
