Denmark: Greenland Pact Benefits All   09/29 06:09

   

   UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The security agreement signed by the U.S., Denmark 
and Greenland last week "strengthens the defense of Greenland, the NATO area, 
and the American continent," Denmark's U.N. ambassador told the U.N.'s annual 
gathering of world leaders Monday.

   "The agreement is good for Greenland, for Denmark, for the United States, 
for NATO and Europe, and for international peace and security," Christina 
Lassen said.

   The agreement bolstering the U.S. military presence in Greenland is aimed at 
strengthening NATO's security in the Arctic and North Atlantic. It keeps 
Greenland as part of Denmark and, at least for the moment, eases tensions over 
President Donald Trump's repeated calls for the vast island to become part of 
the United States. The agreement would still apply if Greenland eventually 
chooses independence.

   In brief remarks on the agreement at the end of her speech, Lassen said, 
"Progress can still be made when we consult the compass."

   Trump expressed his desire to acquire Greenland 
https://apnews.com/article/trump-greenland-denmark-timeline-b32ca9f63dd31333c1d6
e64fb3d6403e and, during his current second term, he issued threats to seize 
the 
https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-greenland-denmark-trump-arctic-security-ru
ssia-china-6346aa8e86be594e467e8cc18f98357b from Denmark, a NATO ally. He said 
the U.S. needed to "take Greenland," to prevent 
https://apnews.com/article/greenland-denmark-security-trump-arctic-north-6066195
d0c6b9e1bbe6da27d55b26ece, but said he would rather 
https://apnews.com/article/nato-greenland-trump-russia-deterrence-threat-07d6c18
ed968c25736eca2c25d935edb " for the mineral-rich territory.

   Trump's designs on Greenland strained relations within NATO, with Danish 
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warning a U.S. takeover would amount to 
https://apnews.com/article/denmark-greenland-trump-2b12bb104faaaafda2ed270febfb0
522. It also unsettled many of Greenland's roughly 56,000 people wary of a U.S. 
takeover and resource grab.

   Officials from the U.S., Greenland and Denmark negotiated for months behind 
the scenes, searching for solutions to address some of Trump's security 
concerns about the island and the president gave a thumbs up to the deal..

   Just before last 
https://apnews.com/article/trump-greenland-denmark-security-agreement-084ac2a829
52c2dff403c48bd3564113., Trump said, "This is tremendous for Europe and for the 
United States and for everybody. And for Greenland, it's going to be 
incredible." He did not respond to questions about whether a U.S. acquisition 
of Greenland was off the table.

   The United States has had a military presence in Greenland since the end of 
World War II in 1945, but the numbers decreased from thousands of soldiers on 
17 bases and installations to roughly 200 soldiers on the remote Pituffik Space 
Base in the northwest today. The base supports missile warning, missile defense 
and space surveillance operations for the United States and NATO.

   Addressing world leaders at the General Assembly just before the signing, 
Trump said the U.S. would "immediately begin the process of developing a large 
military presence in the appropriate locations," including "building two very 
major military bases."