Reuters: US plans two military bases in Greenland under new security deal

The United States plans to reopen a Cold War-era military base in southern Greenland and establish another military facility on the island’s east coast under a new security agreement with Denmark and Greenland, Reuters reports, citing people familiar with the matter.

The two sites are Narsarsuaq, where the US operated the Bluie West One military base until the 1950s, and Mestersvig, a military outpost currently used by Denmark’s Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a special forces unit responsible for enforcing Danish sovereignty in the territory.

The agreement is expected to be signed by the United States, Denmark and Greenland on September 22 at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Its full text has not been made public, and sources told Reuters that some details would not be finalised until the signing.

The planned expansion would add to the US military presence in Greenland. Washington currently operates Pituffik Space Base, with around 150 US military personnel stationed there. During the Cold War, the United States maintained 17 military installations on the island and had more than 10,000 personnel there.

Denmark has said the agreement would place responsibility for Arctic security within the NATO framework rather than leaving it solely to Washington and Copenhagen. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the arrangement would ensure that Arctic security is not exclusively a Danish or American responsibility.

The agreement follows months of pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed interest in US control of Greenland. Trump said last week that Washington had reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland giving the United States permanent control over security and other needs on the island, although Denmark has not confirmed that interpretation.

Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark and occupies a strategically important position in the Arctic between North America and Europe.

By Vugar Khalilov