Greenlandic Party Demands Political Control in New Defense Agreement
Source: iStock.com/rarrarorro
Siumut is generally satisfied with the new Arctic security agreement between Greenland, Denmark, and the US. However, the party believes Greenland should have played a more equal role and calls for oversight to ensure the US honors its obligations.
“There needs to be a monitoring group that constantly tracks whether the agreed-upon obligations are being met,” Siumut chair Aleqa Hammond tells KNR.
Siumut chair Aleqa Hammond believes a special monitoring group is needed to ensure the US complies with the agreement’s provisions regarding, among other things, Greenland’s environment, nature, and way of life.
She points out that the US has previously neglected its environmental obligations.
“There is a lot of waste in the environment that the Americans haven’t cleaned up. That is why it has been a crucial point for Greenland to ensure cooperation on the shared intentions, while also strictly following up on the specific obligations involved,” says Aleqa Hammond.
According to her, ongoing monitoring of whether all parties are meeting their obligations should take place not only through the existing Joint Committee but also through a political working group—particularly during the initial phase of the agreement.
Hammond believes such oversight is necessary because Greenland has historically experienced decisions being made over the heads of the population.
The fact that the agreement includes wording on the protection of the country’s nature, environment, culture, and way of life “is in itself a reassuring addition—one that is incredibly important to the people of Greenland, given how we have been treated throughout history with Denmark’s blessing,” she says.
Greenland Should Have Played a Stronger Role
Although Siumut is pleased that the three countries have reached an agreement, the party believes Greenland should have held a more equal position in the defense cooperation.
The agreement is an addition to the existing defense agreement framework from 1951.
According to Aleqa Hammond, Greenland should have been an equal partner in the overarching agreement rather than merely a co-signatory to the supplementary agreement package.
“It would have been more appropriate for Greenland to have an equal say regarding the defense agreement in its current form, rather than just the supplementary agreement package,” she says.
However, she emphasizes that the most important thing is that the three countries have agreed to maintain peace and security in the Arctic.
Siumut considers this a step in the right direction and believes that all parties are obligated to honor the agreement.
“Since the Americans, the Danes, and we have all signed the agreement on equal terms, we too are obligated to ensure that the Americans live up to their commitments,” says Aleqa Hammond.
Negotiations Led Siumut to Leave the Coalition
When Greenland’s parliament debates the defense agreement next week, Siumut also intends to focus on the process that led to the deal.
Aleqa Hammond states that neither the party leadership nor its rank and file in parliament were involved in the negotiations, even though the party held responsibility for foreign and security policy under the coalition agreement.
According to her, this was one of the reasons why Siumut left the coalition.
“It has simply been impossible for us to gain insight into how the negotiations were proceeding, and we could not accept that,” she says.
She explains that the party was not even given the opportunity to involve its executive committee or Siumut’s chair in the process.
“As a party, we could not vouch for an agreement that was essentially unknown to us,” says Aleqa Hammond.
Fears of Heightened Tensions in the Arctic
The Siumut chair views the defense agreement as part of a broader international trend in which military rivalry between great powers in the Arctic will intensify in the coming years.
In other words: the new agreement with the US marks the beginning of a new era in the Arctic. She believes that the military buildup and activity in and around Greenland are here to stay.
The seasoned party leader points, among other things, to the upcoming UN-led review of continental shelf claims—and the overlapping claim made by Russia—as potential sources of future tension.
According to Aleqa Hammond, these combined developments could lead to further disagreements between the US and other NATO countries.
She therefore believes that Greenland must take a strong stance and clearly assert its interests—not only regarding the defense agreement but also concerning broader geopolitical issues involving the Arctic and the North Pole.
“It is important that Greenland is in a very strong position and makes its stance clear,” she says.
Source: KNR (in Danish)