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Donald Trump Claims to have finalized “framework” for future agreement Greenland The following Weeks of annexation threats Danish territory.
this us The president is from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte Wednesday Believe that an agreement will be reached and that all parties will be satisfied with it.
Denmark express willingness to talk as long as its boundaries are respected – but notably did not endorse any aspects of the deal that Mr Rutte presented to the media or discussed publicly.
Trump said the format of the arrangement was “a little complicated” and would have to be explained “down the road.” However, he dropped its previous threat to impose tariffs on European allies Apparently to ease tensions.
Mr. Rutte said Denmark will retain its sovereignty and emphasize that NATO Under the framework agreement currently being discussed, the allies must strengthen Arctic security “within months.”
Officials close to the negotiations briefed the media that a deal could bring greater benefits us Follow the British overseas arrangements and build freely on the island. But specific details of the deal remain scarce, and there is no guarantee that Trump’s demands will be accepted by Europe.
independent Looks at how the United States might strike a deal with Denmark and NATO.
US sovereignty over military bases
Hours before Trump’s announcement, Nato officials were discussing the possibility of the United States gaining sovereignty over the land for military bases, according to three senior officials familiar with the negotiations.
Such an agreement could be similar to the one the UK has with Cyprus to operate its own bases on land considered British territory. Akrotiri, Episkopi, Dekelia and Agios Nicolas were known as the Sovereign British Base Areas (SBA) and were still under British control when the independent Republic of Cyprus emerged in 1960.
They function as British Overseas Territories, with the Home Office responsible for many civil government responsibilities such as law, justice and immigration. They also have a police force and a mixed population with military and British personnel and their families working alongside Cypriots.
An official familiar with discussions between NATO and the United States said this new york times Greenland’s plans would mirror Britain’s arrangements in Cyprus – although the exact scale is unclear.
The source also revealed telegraph The proposals are similar to the UK’s agreement with Cyprus. They said the deal being discussed did not involve the sale of Greenland.
Rare earth mining
U.S. forces maintain a permanent presence at Pitufik Air Base in northwestern Greenland under a 1951 agreement that also allows the U.S. to establish bases with notification to Denmark and Greenland. It is understood the new arrangements could allow it to be built without planning permission and expand into mineral-rich areas telegraph.
“This is a long-term deal,” Trump told reporters. “This is the ultimate long-term agreement. It puts everyone in a very strong position, especially when it comes to security and minerals.”
A 2023 survey showed that 25 of the 34 minerals considered “critical raw materials” by the European Commission were found in Greenland. Investment in the mining industry currently faces challenges as oil and gas extraction is banned in Greenland for environmental reasons.
Greenland is rich in graphite, copper, nickel, zinc, gold, diamonds, iron ore, titanium vanadium, tungsten and uranium.
How Greenland reacted
Denmark said it was open to discussions that did not compromise territorial integrity. But the issue also requires approval within Greenland. The island is a semi-autonomous territory with its own prime minister, which has strongly opposed U.S. threats in recent weeks.
It is worth noting that British Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen has not yet commented on Rutte’s meeting with Trump.
Aaja Chemnitz Larsen, a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, said she was concerned that NATO would negotiate Greenland’s future without Greenland’s involvement.
“What we are seeing in Trump’s statements these days is complete madness. NATO has absolutely no power to negotiate at all if we are not in Greenland,” she wrote on social media.
“The fact that NATO should have something to say about our country and our minerals is complete nonsense.”
Rutte said on Thursday that specific negotiations would involve the United States, Denmark and Greenland. NATO commanders will be responsible for working out the details of additional security requirements, which could allow NATO allies to take more action in the region.
“I have no doubt that we can do it very quickly. Of course I hope in 2026, I even hope in early 2026,” he said.
What’s missing from this deal?
The framework remains informal and lacks details. If, as NATO says, the main challenge is countering Russian and Chinese investment and interference, the United States already has the power to establish bases and Denmark has boycotted Chinese investment in the past.
With NATO allies already moving into the region to bolster security, it’s unclear what the new deal will add.
The development of mining on the island has also been hampered by red tape and opposition from indigenous residents, and it is unclear how Greenland would be compensated if the United States tried to mine the rare mineral. The extraction of oil and gas is prohibited for environmental reasons.
The agreement, which is modeled on Britain’s base in Cyprus, needs further clarity as the arrangements have changed significantly since 1960. Even if the land becomes de facto American, negotiators must agree on terms of reference for development and independence.
Crucially, the NATO alliance has been shaken by repeated threats from the United States and the allies must rebuild relationships and work together on security issues.