US to Expand Military Presence in Greenland Under Trilateral NATO Deal
The US, Denmark, and Greenland are set to sign an agreement allowing Washington to open two new military bases in the Arctic to strengthen regional security under NATO.
The United States is set to expand its military presence in Greenland by signing a trilateral agreement with Denmark and the local government. The deal, to be finalized in New York, will allow Washington to open two new military bases to strengthen Arctic security under the NATO umbrella.
The agreement is scheduled to be signed on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. According to officials, the US will reopen a Cold War-era base in southern Greenland and establish a military presence at an additional outpost on the eastern coast currently used by a Danish elite dog-sled military unit.
The designated bases are Narsarsuaq, which saw its population dwindle after the US closed its facility in the 1950s, and the Mestersvig outpost. Copenhagen emphasized that the move aims to bring Arctic security under NATO supervision rather than leaving it solely to bilateral arrangements.
The pact follows months of intense pressure from US President Donald Trump, who previously demanded control over Greenland. Trump's pressure triggered a diplomatic crisis within NATO, forcing Denmark and Greenland to negotiate.
During the Cold War, the US maintained 17 military installations and over 10,000 troops in Greenland. Today, only the Pituffik Space Base remains on the island, housing roughly 150 American personnel.
