U.S plans two new military bases in Greenland
Washington is preparing to reopen a former Cold War base and establish another at a Danish military outpost under a new agreement with Denmark and Greenland.
New York: The United States plans to re-establish a military base in southern Greenland and open another on the island’s east coast under an agreement with Denmark and Greenland, according to people familiar with the deal.
The US is expected to return to Narsarsuaq, the former Bluie West One base that was closed in the 1950s. The second site would be Mestersvig, currently used by Denmark’s Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a special forces unit.
The agreement is due to be signed at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Its full details have not been released and are expected to be finalised at the signing.
Denmark said the deal would place Arctic security under NATO rather than leaving responsibility solely with the US and Denmark. The White House said the agreement would strengthen the security of Greenland and the US.
The move follows months of pressure from President Donald Trump for greater US control over Greenland, a proposal strongly rejected by most Greenlanders. During the Cold War, the US operated 17 military installations and had more than 10,000 personnel on the island. Today, only Pituffik Space Base remains, with about 150 US personnel.
