US and Denmark come to a security deal followin Trump’s threats tae tak ower Greenland

Donald Trump announced on Friday that the US had struck an Arctic security pact wi the leaders o Denmark and Greenland, efter threatenin for maist o his seicont term tae annex the semi-autonomous Danish territory by force.

The full scope o the deal Trump described as “verra important, historic, and special” was no immediately clear. But no lang efter his announcement in a post on Truth Social, the leaders o Denmark and Greenland issued statements indicatin the deal wad be signed by the three governments on the sidelines o the Unitit Nations general assembly in New York Ceity next week.

In his social media post, Trump cast the deal as a personal triumph, claimin that the agreement “gies the Unitit States permanent control ower security, and aw ither needs, in Greenland, completely addressin ALL o our mony U.S. concerns”.

“We will immediately begin the process o developin a lairge military presence in the appropriate pairt o Greenland,” Trump added. The US already has a presence on the island, and the richt tae expand bases, throu Nato.

The announcement comes juist weeks afore November’s midterms, giein the president a foreign policy accomplishment he can tout tae voters as the deeply unpopular war wi Iran becomes an increasin political liability for Republicans vyin tae hing on tae their narras majorities in the House and Senate.

The US has lang had a military presence in Greenland – a self-governin territory o the Kingdom o Denmark, a fellaw Nato member – and has had a military base at Pituffik since the cauld war.

In his post, Trump said that the agreement means “nae US adversary can EVER hae a base in Greenland, hae a military presence in Greenland, or mak sensitive investments in Greenland, withoot our express written approval”.

Statements from Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, and the leader o Greenland’s government, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, postit online late on Friday, emphasized that the agreement wad faw far short o Trump’s previously statit desire for “the acquisition o Greenland by the Unitit States”.

Frederiksen said that whit she cried “a great agreement” for aw three pairties “recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity o the Kingdom and the Greenlandic fowk’s richt tae self-determination”.

Nielsen said it was “joyous” that the agreement “ensures and strengthens the security o Greenland, the Kingdom o Denmark, the Unitit States and the Wastren Alliance”, suggestin that the deal micht possibly juist reiterate the existin US richts throu Nato tae use the island as a security base.

Aince agreed tae, the pact wad need tae gang throu parliamentary procedures tae be enactit, the Danish and Greenlandic statements said.

Earlier in his term, Trump argued that the US needed control o Greenland for “economic security”, and has described ownership and control o the territory as an “absolute necessity”. The island had lang been on the president’s radar as a target for purchase, and durin his first term, in 2019, Trump confirmit reports he had been urgin aides tae find oot hou the US cud buy Greenland, describin ony sale as “essentially a lairge real estate deal”.

Trump’s claims deepened divisions amang the wastren alliance, wi the Danish government repeatedly statin that Greenland was “no for sale”. When concerns ower Trump’s annexation threats reached a fever pitch last year, the Guardian reportit that the Danish government set up a “nicht watch” in the foreign ministry tae monitor the US president’s pronouncements whiles Copenhagen sleeps.

At a Nato summit in Ankara earlier this year, Trump renewed his bid for the US tae acquire Greenland. He threatenit tae pu aw American airmed forces oot o Europe efter the continent repeatedly pushed back.

Strategically positionit atween the US and Russia, Greenland is viewed as increasinly important for defense and is emergin as a geopolitical battleground as Arctic ice melts.

The US vice-president, JD Vance, and his wife Usha, received a frosty reception when they visitit US troops stationit at Pituffik space base last year, amid the White House’s aggressive campaign tae tak the mineral-rich island wi roughly 56,000 inhabitants.

Pollin has fund Greenlanders strongly oppose ony effort tae mak Greenland a pairt o the US.

Even sae, a Trump administration insider droppit a hint online that the US side intends tae present whatever the deal actually is as an American triumph. Katie Miller, a former White House aide whase husband is Trump’s closest adviser, postit a map o Greenland covered in the American flag, wi the caption: “ITS HAPPENING”.