US seeks to block Russia and China from mining in Greenland - NYT
US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
Discussions about the future of Greenland have focused on proposals to strengthen NATO's presence in the Arctic, grant the United States sovereign rights over part of the territory, and block potentially hostile adversaries from extracting minerals on the island, The New York Times reports.
As the outlet reports, these elements, described by eight senior Western officials in security and diplomacy, provide the clearest picture yet of the outlines of a potential compromise on Greenland that US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, but without details.
It is noted that his move at least temporarily eased a transatlantic crisis triggered by the United States over the Danish territory.
According to officials speaking on condition of anonymity, the proposals under discussion mustn't meet Trump's goal of transferring ownership of all of Greenland from Denmark to the United States to address sensitive diplomatic issues. The officials warned that many details have yet to be finalized.
It remains unclear whether these discussions will result in an agreement on the territory. Denmark, which has publicly opposed transferring ownership of any land in Greenland, may not agree to the proposed plans.
However, officials expressed hope that they could simultaneously address Trump's concerns about protecting the Arctic from potential threats posed by Russia and China while adhering to Europe's red line, under which Greenland is not for sale.
To that end, the proposals envisage:
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The creation of a new central NATO mission in the Arctic. Several officials referred to the mission as Arctic Sentry, modeled on NATO missions of a similar name in the Baltic Sea and Eastern Europe, aimed at countering an increasingly aggressive Russia.
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An update to the agreement signed between Denmark and the United States in 1951. This pact grants the US military broad access to Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, for operations including the construction and operation of military bases. US officials have expressed concern that this access could be restricted or terminated if Greenland gains independence. NATO officials discussed expanding the 1951 pact with a new agreement that would effectively create US enclaves on the territory.
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Restrictions on non-NATO countries, including Russia and China, from obtaining rights to extract rare minerals located deep beneath Greenland's ice sheet.
Greenland agreement
On January 21, US President Donald Trump, following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, announced the formation of a framework for a future agreement on Greenland and the entire Arctic region.
Before that, Trump had advocated transferring Greenland under US control, including, allegedly, to deploy elements of the Golden Dome missile defense system there.
According to media reports, the framework agreement on Greenland includes the principle of respecting Denmark's sovereignty over the island. At the same time, it provides for the deployment of the Golden Dome missile defense system. The defense agreement signed between Denmark and the United States in 1951 will be updated.
At the same time, Rutte himself said on January 22 that Trump did not raise the issue of Greenland's sovereignty during negotiations over Greenland's future. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen supported the reached agreement.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said that he does not know what agreement with the United States is being discussed. According to him, issues concerning Greenland should be decided only by Nuuk and Copenhagen, not NATO.
