US Negotiates New Bases in Greenland
General Gregory M. Guillot is the commander of the US Northern Command, which is responsible for the defense of American territory. He said that the US is in the process of negotiating three new areas in Greenland from which the military can operate.
Since June Last Year, the Pentagon Has Included Greenland as Part of the US Northern Command Rather Than Being a Foreign Policy Issue
On March 19, the commander-in-chief—General Guillot—sat for a hearing with US senators.
Here, the questions focused on what the US is trying to get out of the negotiations, and whether the 1951 defense agreement is sufficient.
The short answer is: The US is negotiating to open three new military areas in Greenland, but a new defense agreement is not immediately on the table.
“In cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have three areas that we would like to negotiate with Denmark and Greenland about, to see if we can expand the defense areas from where we are now,” said the general.
It was not made clear where these possible three bases would be located.
New Bases
Senator Angus King visited Nuuk in early February. He said that the 1951 defense agreement is comprehensive and that the US does not need a new agreement.
In addition to agreeing with the senator that the defense agreement is comprehensive, General Gregory M. Guillot opened up about how he wants to expand the American presence in Greenland.
“I am working with our department and others to try to develop more ports, more airfields, which gives the president more options if we need them, up in the Arctic,” said the general.
In addition, the general mentions Golden Dome, which KNR has previously described. In addition, he wants greater opportunities to send fighter and tanker aircraft that can defend the United States against cruise missiles launched from Russia’s Arctic areas.
The General Also Raises the Issue That the US Special Operations Forces Do Not Currently Have a Presence in Greenland
“We do not have a permanent presence for the special operations forces, and we also do not have a permanent presence for some of the maritime capabilities that I need,” he said and continued: “That is what we are working with Denmark to gain more access to.”
Resistance and Fear
Senator Jeanne Shaheen wanted to know whether the US has experienced opposition from Denmark or Greenland regarding an American desire for military cooperation.
To this, General Gregory M. Guillot responded dismissively:
“No, senator, we have not. I have a very strong relationship with the Danish chief of defense, and every request and opportunity for partnership has been fulfilled.”
But it wasn’t only the negotiations that the senator asked the general about.
Senator Gary Peters, who also visited Nuuk in February, mentioned the fear that many in the population had when the US again threatened an invasion back in January.
“If you break someone’s trust, it takes a lot of work to get it back. How will you rebuild this trust?”
“I try to maintain the trust that we have built both with Greenland through our military operations and with our partners in Denmark by being open, transparent, and by seeking new and improved ways of cooperating. We have also done that since your last visit.”
Gary Peters was not satisfied with that answer, however. He demanded that trust in the US be restored among the Greenlandic population. This must be done through communication from the military directly to the Greenlandic population.
To this, General Gregory M. Guillot replied with a simple: “Yes.”
Source: KNR (in Danish)