Greenland parliament ratifies US security deal amid Trump's earlier threats, clears way for 2 American bases

Greenland's parliament ratified the Arctic island's security agreement on Tuesday (November 3) after it struck earlier this year with US President Donald Trump; however, some opposition party members questioned the deal's economic value. The move comes after the US, Denmark and Greenland signed the agreement in September with the aim of ending tensions following Trump's repeated threats to take control of the strategically located and mineral-rich island, a self-governing Danish territory.

The signed deal increases the role of the US military in Greenland, making it possible for two new military bases and Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defence system, while reaffirming Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders' right to self-determination. In response, a majority of lawmakers already gave their support for the deal in a first debate last month.

Important step for the Island

Lawmakers passed Tuesday's vote 16 to 0, with 7 abstentions. Greenlandic Foreign Minister Mute Egede described the ratification as an important step for the territory. "We must accept that peace and stability are no longer something we can take for granted," Egede said to lawmakers in Nuuk shortly before the vote.

During the debate, Naleraq, the opposition party most closely associated with Greenland’s push for independence, raised doubts about the deal’s economic merit. "We are looking for a better agreement that we can benefit from when we become an independent state. But no economic benefit has been gained from the agreement," Naleraq chair Pele Broberg said.

Denmark’s parliament will take up the bill for its first reading on November 11, with a second reading and final vote scheduled for November 19. The agreement will take effect once both Denmark and Greenland have formally ratified it; approval from the US Senate is not required.

Earlier this year, in January, the White House revealed that Trump had been exploring ways to acquire Greenland, including the possible deployment of US military force, a disclosure that unsettled European governments and set off a flurry of diplomatic efforts aimed at defusing the situation.