Could the US expand its military presence in Greenland?Published at 11:43 GMT
Lucy Gilder
BBC Verified Journalist
image source, ReutersThe main US military facility in Greenland is Pitafik Space Station.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly portrayed the discussion of annexing Greenland from Denmark as a “national security” issue for the United States and NATO.
Earlier this month, President Trump’s senior adviser Stephen Miller told CNN, “Clearly Greenland should be part of the United States in order to secure the Arctic region and protect and protect the interests of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and NATO.”
However, the United States already has a military role in Greenland and maintained a presence there after World War II.
Currently, the United States operates a military base in Greenland called Pitufik Cosmodrome, whose missions include missile defense and satellite communications.
William Freer, a national security expert at the Geographical and Strategic Council, told BBC Verify that the US is entitled to “extensive military capabilities” in Greenland under several treaties and agreements with Denmark.
One of these is the Greenland Defense Agreement of 1951., externalstill valid. The article states that “without prejudice to the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark,” the U.S. government has the right to “adapt certain areas of Greenland to military uses,” such as establishing facilities or stationing personnel there.
“During the Cold War, this treaty allowed more than 50 U.S. military installations and nearly 10,000 personnel to be stationed on the island,” Freer said.
“Under existing agreements, the United States could expand its presence again.”
Freer argues that the reason for the US occupation of the island is “the economic potential of Greenland’s mineral wealth.”
