US-Denmark Negotiations on Greenland Military Bases
The United States has been engaged in ongoing negotiations with Denmark to increase its military footprint in Greenland, according to multiple officials familiar with the discussions. These talks have advanced in recent months.
US officials aim to establish three new military bases in southern Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, as they seek to resolve a diplomatic dispute triggered by President Donald Trump's earlier threats to seize Greenland by force.
In January, Trump stated that the US should "own" Greenland to prevent Russia or China from gaining control, suggesting this could be achieved either "the easy way" or "the hard way." The White House has confirmed that high-level discussions with Greenland and Denmark are underway but declined to provide specific details.
A White House official told the BBC that the administration remains optimistic about the progress of the talks.
Greenland is a semi-autonomous region under Danish sovereignty. Denmark has previously shown willingness to discuss expanding the American military presence on the island. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged ongoing diplomatic engagement with the US but refrained from elaborating.
At a democracy summit in Copenhagen on Tuesday, Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen indicated that negotiations with the US have "taken some steps in the right direction." He described the discussions as "ongoing" but did not provide further details.
Proposed Bases and Strategic Focus
US officials have proposed that the three new bases be formally recognized as US sovereign territory, according to a source familiar with the talks. These bases would be situated in southern Greenland and primarily focus on monitoring potential Russian and Chinese maritime activities in the northern Atlantic region known as the GIUK Gap, which lies between Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom.
The two parties have not reached any formal agreement, and the number of bases could be adjusted. One likely location for a new base is Narsarsuaq, the site of a former US military installation with a small airport.
Additional bases would probably be established at locations with existing infrastructure, such as airfields or ports, to minimize costs by upgrading rather than constructing new facilities, according to analysts.
US officials have not suggested any plans to seize control of Greenland during the talks, a notion that Denmark and NATO have publicly rejected.
Despite Trump's earlier threats, the US and Denmark have actively pursued a negotiated agreement in recent months.
Negotiation Process and Key Figures
The discussions have been conducted by a small working group of officials in Washington, who have made progress discreetly while the administration has focused on the conflict in Iran.
General Gregory Guillot, commander of US Northern Command, provided a general overview of the negotiations during congressional testimony in March, confirming US intentions to open new bases. Sources close to the talks have described frequent high-level meetings that have advanced in recent months.
The diplomatic effort is led by Michael Needham, a senior State Department official tasked with developing a deal that satisfies Trump’s objectives while respecting Denmark’s territorial concerns.
A senior diplomat familiar with the negotiations stated,
"Needham is running point"to describe Needham's leadership role, adding that the administration is
"approaching it very professionally."
The teams have convened at least five times since mid-January. Needham is typically accompanied by one or two officials from the State Department or National Security Council. Danish representatives include Jesper Møller Sørensen, Denmark's ambassador to the US, and Jacob Isbosethsen, Greenland's top diplomat in Washington.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, appointed by Trump as special envoy to Greenland, has not participated in the negotiations and remains largely absent from the diplomatic process, according to three sources.
A close ally of Landry, speaking anonymously, said,
"He was supposed to be more of like a rah-rah cheerleader of the idea that we could just flex our muscles and take over Greenland as a security asset."The source added,
"Landry has never been to any of the actual talks."
Landry's office did not respond to requests for comment.
Current US Military Presence and Expert Opinions
The US currently maintains one military base in Greenland, down from approximately 17 during the Cold War. Pituffik Space Base, located in northwestern Greenland, monitors missiles for NORAD but is not equipped for maritime surveillance.
Some current and former officials, along with Arctic security experts, have criticized the US approach, suggesting that Washington could have pursued its interests without threatening a NATO ally.
One former senior US defense official remarked,
"Why threaten an ally with a military operation or invasion when what you want is something that could be negotiated quite easily?"
Others have commended the cooperation between the US and Denmark. Retired General Glen VanHerck, former head of Northern Command and NORAD from 2020 to 2024, told the BBC,
"Wherever the US and our allies leave a vacuum, that vacuum is often filled by China and Russia."
Legal Framework and Historical Context
Negotiators have sought to reach a compromise within the framework of a longstanding 1951 security agreement between the US and Denmark. This pact grants the US broad authority to expand military operations in Greenland, subject to Danish government approval.
Denmark has historically supported US military activities in Greenland and has never rejected a request to increase the American presence, according to Arctic security experts.
Representatives of the Greenland government in Washington declined to comment, as did the US State Department.
Trump's interest in expanding US access to Greenland dates back to his first presidential term. However, his renewed focus earlier this year sparked a diplomatic crisis that underscored tensions between NATO and the Trump administration.
At the Copenhagen summit, Greenlandic Prime Minister Nielsen stated he believes
"the conversations now are in a better place than when we had our conversations through the media."
When asked if he would meet with Landry during an upcoming business summit in Greenland, Nielsen replied that he did not know. He added,
"We can have robust discussions and we can meet, but it will be with respect, as we have been saying from the beginning. We are not to be taken. We are not for sale, and that will be the narrative of the meeting."
Additional reporting by Adrienne Murray in Copenhagen.
