What We Know About the New US Military Bases in Greenland

The United States will open two new military bases in Greenland under an agreement with Denmark and Greenland, according to a Reuters report cited by Al Jazeera. The deal is expected to be signed Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, though its full text had not been made public as of Al Jazeera's report.

What did the US and Denmark agree to?

President Donald Trump said Friday the US had secured "permanent control" over Greenland's security "and all other needs," according to Al Jazeera. Over the weekend, Denmark and Greenland confirmed they had reached an agreement with Washington that would be formally announced this week. Both governments said the deal would not compromise Greenland's sovereignty, Al Jazeera reported.

Where will the new bases be located?

Specific site locations for the two bases had not been disclosed in the reporting available as of Monday. Al Jazeera's account, sourced to Reuters, confirms only that "at least two new US bases will be established" as part of the pact; no coordinates, towns, or existing installations were named in the material released so far.

Why did the deal follow a standoff over annexation?

The agreement caps a months-long dispute that began after Trump repeatedly said Washington intended to annex the autonomous Danish territory, prized for its Arctic location and mineral resources, including rare-earth metals, Al Jazeera reported. Trump did not rule out a military invasion at the time, a stance Al Jazeera said caused fear among Greenlanders, most of whom reject US control according to polls cited in the report.

Tensions peaked in January when European NATO members began deploying additional troops to Greenland to demonstrate military readiness and deter Washington, according to Al Jazeera. After talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump said he would not invade the island and would instead pursue a deal. He also withdrew a threatened 10 percent tariff on eight European nations that had objected to US efforts to acquire the territory, Al Jazeera reported.

What veto power does the deal give the US?

Trump said the arrangement gives Washington a veto to block "adversaries" from establishing a military presence or making "sensitive investments" in Greenland without US approval, according to Al Jazeera. A State Department official, cited by the BBC in Al Jazeera's report, said the practical effect is that non-NATO states will be barred from setting up bases in Greenland or making investments there "that could threaten the United States."

How has Greenland responded to the deal?

Greenlandic and Danish officials confirmed reaching an agreement but emphasized it would not compromise sovereignty, Al Jazeera reported. That assurance stands against the backdrop of earlier protests; the report includes an image from January of demonstrators outside the US consulate in Nuuk objecting to Trump's Greenland policy. Al Jazeera's related coverage, referenced in the piece, includes analysis questioning whether Trump "settled for less" than originally sought and whether the deal amounts to "permanent control" of Greenland's security in practice.

The signing in New York is expected to produce the deal's full text, which had not been released publicly as of Monday's reporting.