On September 19, according to TASS news agency, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Denmark agreed to a security agreement with the US on Greenland because it does not have enough financial resources to protect the island itself if it is attacked or threatened. According to Mr. Rubio, the US is capable of undertaking this task.
The US Secretary of State said the new agreement meets security concerns of both the US and Denmark and Greenland. He said negotiations between the US, Denmark and Greenland have been silent since February, with the participation of senior officials from both sides.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk had reached an agreement on Greenland security issues. According to Mr. Trump, the US will have long-term control over security and related needs on the island, and begin planning to expand its military presence here.
According to sources, the announced agreement will grant the US the right to access, station and use Greenland's airspace, and allow the US to build more military facilities when necessary. The agreement also aims to prevent non-NATO countries from establishing bases or maintaining military forces in Greenland and limit investment in sensitive areas.
However, the agreement does not transfer Greenland's sovereignty to the United States. The island remains in the Kingdom of Denmark, while the people of Greenland maintain self-determination. According to the joint statement of Denmark and Greenland, the agreement must also be officially signed and go through the necessary ratification procedures before taking effect.
The US has currently maintained a military presence in Greenland, including the Pituffik space base north of the island. The US has long considered Greenland's position in the Arctic to be of strategic significance for defense and monitoring military activities in the region.
