Can the US expand its military presence in Greenland?published at 11:43 GMT
11:43 GMT
Lucy Gilder
BBC Verify journalist
Image source, ReutersImage caption,
The main US military facility in Greenland is the Pituffik Space Base
President Donald Trump has repeatedly framed arguments about annexing Greenland from Denmark as being a “national security” matter for the US and Nato.
Earlier this month, senior Trump advisor Stephen Miller told CNN that “to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend Nato and Nato interests, obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States”.
However, the US already plays a military role in Greenland and has maintained a presence there since World War Two.
Currently the US operates one military base in Greenland, the Pituffik Space Base, whose responsibilities include missile defence and satellite communication.
William Freer, a national security specialist at the Council on Geostrategy, told BBC Verify that the US is allowed “extensive military powers” in Greenland under several treaties and agreements with Denmark.
One of these is the 1951 Defense of Greenland Agreement, external, which is still in force. It states that “without prejudice to the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark”, the US government is entitled to “fit the area for military use”, including installing facilities and stationing personnel in certain parts of Greenland.
“During the Cold War, this treaty allowed for over 50 US military installations and almost 10,000 personnel to be positioned on the island”, says Freer.
“Under existing agreements, the US could expand its presence once more.”
Freer argues that a reason for the US taking over the island would be “the economic potential of Greenland’s mineral wealth”.