The United States, Denmark and its autonomous territory of Greenland on Tuesday signed a deal in New York to expand the U.S. military presence on the strategic island.
At a ceremony on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the agreement was inked by U.S. President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Under the wide-ranging security agreement, the United States will be allowed to modernize and expand its activities at the Pituffik Space Base it already operates in remote northwestern Greenland, and establish an additional defense area at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig.
The deal also permits U.S. aircraft to fly over and land in any territory in Greenland, including its territorial waters.
The agreement states that no state that is not a member of NATO "shall be allowed to establish its own manned or unmanned military installations" in Greenland. It also blocks non-NATO, non-EU countries from controlling the territory's sensitive sectors.
The document reaffirms "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark" and recognizes that the people of Greenland constitute a people with the "right to self-determination."
The agreement shall enter into force on the date of a diplomatic note informing the United States of the completion of necessary parliamentary procedures by the Kingdom of Denmark together with Greenland.
US, Denmark, Greenland sign deal to expand U.S. military presence in Greenland
