Trump Announces Deal to Boost Military Presence in Greenland

After months of threatening to take Greenland by force, President Trump posted Friday on social media that he's reached an agreement designed to boost the US military presence on the Arctic island and shut out rival nations. The deal, which does not include a US takeover, "gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many U.S. concerns," Trump wrote. Greenland and Denmark, which owns the Arctic island, issued a joint statement saying they plan to sign the deal with the US next week, the Hill reports.

"The agreement recognizes Greenland's interests and our place in international cooperation," Jens-Frederik Nielsen, chairman of the Greenland government, said in a statement. "It is to the benefit of us all." Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark said the agreement "recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination." Trump said the US will be able to expand its military footprint while keeping "adversaries" from building bases.

Reuters had earlier reported that the US and Greenland were nearing an agreement that would fall well short of Trump's earlier stated ambition to purchase the territory outright. No details on timing, specific installations, or how the approvals process would work were immediately available. Trump said the US would incur no costs involving the expansion without saying how that might work, per the Washington Post. Greenland had not been receptive to Trump's threats about acquiring it.