US Wants to Open Two Military Bases in Greenland

The United States plans to re-establish a Cold War-era military base in southern Greenland and set up another on the east coast under an agreement with Denmark and Greenland, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The first site is Narsarsuaq, where Washington operated the Bluie West One military base until the 1950s. The second is Mestersvig, a military outpost used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a Danish special forces unit.

Representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the United States are expected to sign the agreement on Tuesday during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. The text has not yet been made public, and its details will not be finalized until it is signed.

The White House declined to comment on the details of the agreement but reiterated that it was intended to protect the security of Greenland and the United States.

Denmark says the agreement will place Arctic security under NATO oversight rather than leave it solely to Washington and Copenhagen.

The deal follows months of pressure from US President Donald Trump, who wants the United States to control Greenland and has at times refused to rule out military or economic force to acquire the semi-autonomous Danish territory. Polling shows that an overwhelming majority of Greenlanders reject the idea.

During the Cold War, the United States maintained 17 military installations and more than 10,000 personnel in Greenland. Today, only Pituffik Space Base remains, with around 150 US military personnel.

(Reuters, bak)