Photo: Getty Images. Denmark invites US to discuss military presence
The government is seeking to avoid public controversy over Greenland’s future and convince Trump that his fears of external threats can be addressed without annexing the island.
Danish authorities have sent confidential messages to the team of the 47th US President-elect Donald Trump, offering to hold talks on strengthening the security of Greenland, Axios reports, citing sources.
Copenhagen has proposed increasing the number of US troops on the island. The government is seeking to avoid public controversy over Greenland’s future and convince Trump that his concerns about external threats can be addressed without annexing the island.
The messages transmitted to the new White House administration emphasize that Greenland is not for sale, but Denmark is ready to consider any other requests from Washington. The island already hosts a US military base in Thule, which is a key element of the early detection system for ballistic missiles. It is also the shortest route from Europe to North America. About 200 US Air and Space Forces soldiers serve at the base. The distance from the base to Moscow is about 3,757 km. Denmark and the US have a defense agreement on Greenland since 1951, which allows for an increase in the number of US troops on the island.
Danish officials have announced plans to increase investment in Greenland’s military capabilities and are already consulting with the local government. During the Cold War, the island played a key role in the defense of the United States and NATO, being part of the early detection system for Soviet submarines. With the opening of new sea routes in the Arctic caused by climate change, Greenland’s strategic importance is growing. In 2022, the Pentagon signed a $4 billion contract to operate a US base, and in 2023, four F-35 fighter jets were stationed there for the first time.
Greenland, with a population of about 57,000, is an autonomous territory within Denmark with its own government. Until 1953, the island had the status of a colony, and in 2009 it received expanded autonomy, including the right to self-government in internal affairs. Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that Greenland should become part of the United States, emphasizing its strategic importance for national security, especially in the context of countering China and Russia.
