Danish PM says ‘optimistic’ on Greenland talks with US

The United States wants to open three new military bases in southern Greenland, according to several media outlets, in addition to the Pituffik base it already has in the north of the territory.

A 1951 defence pact, updated in 2004, already allows Washington to ramp up troop deployments and military installations on the island provided it informs Denmark and Greenland in advance.

At the height of the crisis, Trump would not rule out using force to seize the territory of 57,000 inhabitants, sowing anxiety within the EU and NATO.

Since then, tensions have cooled somewhat, and in an apparent move to assuage Trump, NATO launched a new mission to bolster security in the Arctic.

“When I became prime minister in Denmark, the Arctic region was not really on the agenda in the European Union, neither in NATO,” Frederiksen said.

“Now, as we speak, we have 10 allies exercising together in Greenland.”