The agreement negotiated with NATO chief Mark Rutte will reportedly authorize America to have “sovereign base areas” on the island
The US will control parts of Greenland by designating them as sovereign military base areas, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday evening, citing a draft agreement between US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
The deal, reached on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, is seen by European officials as a way to circumvent Trump’s threats to annex the entire Arctic island from Denmark. Both Trump and Rutte said the details have yet to be finalized.
The draft framework would allow Washington to build bases on Greenland that would be considered US territory in the Arctic region, The Telegraph said.
The arrangement would reportedly be similar to the treaty that authorizes Britain to maintain two “sovereign base areas” in Cyprus. The US currently operates an airbase on Greenland’s northwestern coast under a 1951 agreement.
According to Axios, the proposal includes language on expanding the US Golden Dome missile defense system into Greenland.
The deal will also reportedly allow the US to mine rare-earth minerals in parts of Greenland without having to seek permits.
“It’s a deal that people jumped at, really fantastic for the USA, gets everything we wanted, including especially real national security and international security,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday.
Rutte told Fox News’ Bret Baier that his meeting with Trump was a good starting point, adding that he focused on working with the US to better protect the island from outside threats.
Shortly after meeting with Rutte, Trump announced that he was dropping his threat to impose new tariffs on European countries opposing his claim on Greenland.
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