Mysterious Greenland Agreement to Be Signed at the UN Today
United Nations logo at the UN headquarters in New York City.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (Social Democrats) gave her first interview to DR and TV 2 after arriving in New York.
She stated that she expects the agreement between Greenland, Denmark, and the US to be signed sometime tomorrow. However, the Prime Minister noted that she cannot guarantee a signing.
“Can anything be guaranteed in this world?” she asked rhetorically.
Greenland’s Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen also wrote in a Facebook post, shortly after the interview with the Prime Minister, that the agreement will be signed tomorrow. “Tomorrow, Greenland, Denmark, and the US will sign the agreement here in New York,” he wrote.
“It will be an important moment after a difficult period, during which many back home have followed developments closely and with concern.”
The Prime Minister’s Office and the Greenlandic government subsequently announced in a press release that the signing ceremony will take place at 13:30 Greenland time at the UN headquarters in New York.
Discussion Regarding Ownership
Mette Frederiksen was asked whether she expects US President Donald Trump to stop talking about ownership.
“What we have been working on for many months is creating a legally binding agreement on security and defense policy. It is a good agreement for the West and the entire NATO alliance,” she said.
“When we make an agreement, that is likely what will apply. We won’t get any closer than this,” says the Prime Minister.
Mette Frederiksen tells DR and TV 2 that she looks forward to the meeting with Donald Trump tomorrow.
“I look forward to tomorrow’s meeting. It is a good agreement from American, Greenlandic, and Danish perspectives—for the Realm. When it is good for the Arctic region, it is also good for NATO.”
No Ceding of Sovereignty
Both Donald Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have announced that a process regarding a significant US military presence in Greenland is now set to begin.
DR and TV 2 ask Mette Frederiksen what this entails. The Prime Minister declines to comment on the specific details of the anticipated agreement. However, she notes that there is a shared interest in strengthening security in the Arctic.
“From a European perspective, we desire an American presence. We have only one interest, and that is maintaining transatlantic cooperation.”
Responding to the question of ceding sovereignty, Mette Frederiksen states that this is not part of the agreement.
“We are not ceding sovereignty. As Danish Prime Minister, I would not do that. We uphold the Constitution. That said, it is entirely possible to retain sovereignty while strengthening cooperation with other countries.”
Mette Frederiksen then thanks everyone who helped bring the agreement about.
“It is not something that happens overnight. We have been dealing with the Greenland issue for a long time. Thanks to the civil servants. There has been so much unseen work. A tremendous amount of work,” she says.
“I would also like to thank the Folketing. There has been good cooperation with the opposition.”
Finally, the Prime Minister extends her thanks to European partners. “It is the result of many people’s efforts. There are many to thank.”
Calls for Greater Transparency
The Naleraq politician Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam finds it “nerve-wracking” that the agreement is expected to be signed without a substantial debate among members of the Greenlandic government.
“I am astonished that there is a desire to sign an agreement before actually having a major discussion about it among all members of the Government,” says Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam.
The agreement is expected to be signed in New York, where Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen have also traveled to attend the UN General Assembly.
According to the Office of the Premier and the Prime Minister’s Office, the agreement strengthens security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic region. However, the precise details of the agreement have not yet been revealed.
Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam believes this makes the entire process “nerve-wracking.”
“After all, this is a major decision for our descendants and our children, and for how Greenland will develop.”
She is therefore calling for more information from the government regarding what the population should expect.
“What is happening? What is the process? What is going to happen in the coming hours and days? Getting a clear answer to that would provide reassurance, even if the details of the agreement remain confidential,” says Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam.
Red Lines Not Crossed
On Friday, former Premier Múte B. Egede gave an interview to KNR shortly after the US President had posted about the agreement on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“The agreement reflects our starting point from the very beginning; Greenland’s position is recognized. Greenland’s right to self-determination is recognized, as is the right of the Greenlandic people under international law,” says Múte B. Egede in the interview.
He does not elaborate on the contents of the agreement.
According to Donald Trump, the agreement entails the US gaining permanent control over security and all other necessities in Greenland. He stated this in a post on Truth Social on Friday. At the same time, according to Trump, the agreement means that none of the US’s adversaries can establish bases, maintain a military presence, or make investments in Greenland without US approval.
“That is precisely what is concerning,” says Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam. She believes Trump’s statements should not be taken literally.
“But one also knows that there is usually some truth to what he says, even if he expresses it in an exaggerated manner,” she continues.
Informing the Public
According to Trump, the US will immediately begin building a military presence in Greenland in cooperation with the Greenlandic people. Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam considers this to be expected.
“That said, it will be interesting to see what Greenland gains from the agreement. How do we ensure that Greenland doesn’t just live with the consequences, but actually ensures that the potential environmental impacts and the effects on the local population regarding these bases are balanced out within the agreement?” she asks.
The agreement follows more than eight months of negotiations between Greenland, Denmark, and the US—negotiations that began after repeated statements from Donald Trump expressing a desire for US control over Greenland.
Greenland, Denmark, and the US already have a defense agreement dating back to 1951, which grants the US the right to maintain a military presence in Greenland.
Source: