Trump’s Greenland Deal Alters US-Denmark Ties but Changes Little

The recent agreement between the United States and Denmark over Greenland grants the US permanent access, basing, and overflight rights on the island. Experts note that while the deal allows the US to build additional military structures unilaterally and store special munitions, it does not significantly change existing relations between the two countries.

The deal permits the United States entry into Greenland free of inspection and at no cost, enabling it to establish military bases and conduct overflights. Experts warn that for countries the size of Denmark, allowing foreign powers such access could be equivalent to suicide in the event of an atomic war, as it could nullify any nation’s military effort and demolish its social and economic structures.

Life inside Greenland’s mile-thick glacier is said to be not too different from that in many small towns in the US, Canada, or Britain. The island’s rich wildlife includes whales, walruses, seals, sharks, cod, salmon, and various birds such as king ducks and eider ducks. The agreement may also increase Greenland’s inducements to peacefully and cheerfully become part of the American Union.