Greenland agreement brings relief to Denmark’s armed forces

A new agreement involving Denmark, Greenland and the United States has brought relief to Denmark’s armed forces, according to DR defence correspondent Mads Korsager.

Before January, Danish soldiers were sent to Greenland to prepare for the possibility that the United States might try to take control of the island by force. They carried additional blood supplies and explosives that could potentially have been used to destroy runways and prevent American aircraft from landing.

“There is a very strong sense of relief in the armed forces,” Korsager said. He described the situation in January as “completely insane”, given that the United States is Denmark’s largest and most important security ally.

The agreement will allow the armed forces to focus on other urgent tasks, including security challenges in the Baltic Sea region. US President Donald Trump has said that the United States will “immediately begin a major military presence in an appropriate part of Greenland”.

US military engineers have recently been seen surveying and mapping the runway and other potential military facilities at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland. Narsarsuaq, a former US base, was among the largest and most important American bases in Greenland from the Second World War until 1958.

“We have indications and statements from the United States that its presence will now increase, but we have yet to see how and where this will happen,” Korsager said. He added that the division of responsibilities between Denmark, the United States and NATO also remained to be seen.