Donald Trump says an agreement with Denmark that hands the US ‘permanent control’ over Greenland’s security will be ‘cherished’ by the American people.
In a self-congratulatory post on Truth Social, the president said the deal ‘completely’ addressed ‘ALL of our many’ concerns and will come at ‘NO COST to the United States’.
‘This is a dream come true for the United States of America, one that is very important, historic and special,’ he added.
‘Everything agreed to today will be cherished by the American people.’
He went on: ‘We look forward to working with the wonderful people of Denmark and Greenland toward a magnificent future with respect to this large, and highly strategic, parcel of land. We will be very protective of it!’
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed the agreement and said and expected to sign it with the US next week.
Ms Frederiksen said: ‘I am pleased that there is a prospect of a good agreement for Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark and the US.
‘An agreement that strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area and is therefore also good for NATO and Europe.
‘And an agreement that at the same time recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.’
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said it would ‘ensure and strengthen’ regional security.
According to Trump, the agreement prevents US adversaries from having a military presence in Greenland and bans them from making ‘sensitive investments’ without America’s express approval.
Alongside this safeguard, the US ‘will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate part of Greenland’, he said.
This would allow Trump to realise his long-held desire to build a ‘Golden Dome’ missile-defence system in the semi-autonomous territory.
It is designed to protect the US from missile attacks should a conflict erupt.
He claimed the US was vulnerable without it and repeatedly cited this security concern as the reason for needing to acquire the territory.
Greenland also holds vast quantities of rare earth minerals needed for telecommunications, as well as uranium.
And as the Arctic ice retreats, billions of barrels of oil and vast quantities of natural gas will be able to be extracted more easily.
Initially, Trump offered to buy Greenland from Denmark, and when it refused, threatened to take the strategically important island by force.
Fears that America would invade a fellow NATO member and forcibly annex its territory sparked outrage across the West, threatened to destroy the NATO alliance and prompted high-level talks between Trump and European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
Trump later backtracked, and as other global events, including the ongoing conflict with Iran, took precedence, Greenland was pushed down the agenda.
But talks continued in the background, leading to Trump’s announcement today.
It made no mention of any territory changing hands, a red line for both Denmark and Greenland.
This prompted the Danish press to dispute Trump’s boasts that he was the only US President to ‘permanently and conclusively’ address the situation.
‘Don’t tell Trump that it’s the Kingdom of Denmark that has won,’ read one headline in the newspaper Berlingske today.
A NATO spokesperson on Saturday said the alliance welcomed the agreement, which would ‘help advance security, stability and cooperation in this vital region’.
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