Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen did not say anything more today about the agreement with the US on Greenland, after Washington announced that an agreed solution for the security of the island had been reached.
The question remained unanswered both in Copenhagen and in Nuuk, where the Danish government and the authorities in Greenland have already stated that an agreement on enhanced cooperation in the Arctic and the North Atlantic is expected to be signed. According to their official statement, the idea is to strengthen the security of Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States, without affecting the sovereignty of the island.
What is known so far
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States, Denmark and Greenland have reached an agreement that provides for a greater American military presence on the island. The US side claims that the agreement leaves Greenland within Denmark but gives Washington broader control over security.
The Danish government has not confirmed these details in full. Instead, the cabinet has spoken of an expected agreement to strengthen security in the Arctic and stressed that Greenland remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and any agreement must preserve the sovereignty of the territory.
The political background
The topic of Greenland has become one of the most delicate issues in relations between Copenhagen and Washington in recent months. Back in January, European leaders, including Frederiksen, came out with a common position in which they stressed that international law and the territorial integrity of Greenland must be respected.
Against this background, Frederiksen's current silence on the specific clauses of the agreement maintains tension around the text of the treaty. It is not currently publicly known what the exact scope of the American presence will be, nor whether changes in foreign policy powers or resources have been agreed upon.
According to the Danish government, the new agreement is to be discussed and presented in New York next week, during the UN General Assembly.
Sources: BTA, Reuters, Associated Press, Statsministeriet