Greenland approves security pact with US and Denmark

For months, U.S. President Donald Trump pressured the semiautonomous Arctic territory, suggesting military force might be necessary to secure what he deemed vital for American national security. On Tuesday, that pressure culminated in a formal vote by the local legislature.

In Nuuk, the Greenlandic parliament approved a trilateral security agreement with Denmark and the United States by a vote of 16 to 0, with seven abstentions. The deal, which was signed in September on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York by Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, facilitates the establishment of additional U.S. military bases on the island.

The agreement aims to bolster American military capabilities in the Arctic and North Atlantic while keeping Greenland under Danish sovereignty. It applies regardless of whether the island eventually chooses full independence. Danish lawmakers are scheduled to debate the accord later this month, and the deal will enter into force once all necessary parliamentary processes in the Kingdom of Denmark are completed.

Despite the unanimous support from the ruling bloc, local sentiment in the northern town of Ilulissat, located 570 kilometers from the capital, remains mixed. Nukaaka Lund-Mathaeussen, a 28-year-old municipality worker, expressed relief that the administration "got what they wanted," hoping it ends underhanded threats. However, she acknowledged the difficulty for ordinary residents to influence such high-level diplomatic machinery.

Other residents voiced less optimism. William Tukula, a 34-year-old chef, noted that older community members on social media expressed fear regarding the prospect of increased military activity. Nukaaraq Thomsen, a 43-year-old incineration plant worker, argued that while the deal secures the land, it does not necessarily protect or benefit the people.

The agreement stipulates that Washington should award contracts for the setup, maintenance, or dismantling of bases to Greenlandic sources to the maximum extent possible. Lars Erik Gabrielsen, the mayor of Avannaata Municipality, questioned whether this clause would translate into tangible gains for local society. He described the pact as a good deal for Denmark and NATO, but stated that for Greenlanders, the benefits were zero.

Jens-Frederik Nielsen defended the move on social media, asserting that Greenlanders stood united to show the world that the island decides its own fate. He emphasized the need for cooperation that respects the rights and people of the territory, concluding that Greenland will always be its own country.