Trump gets his Greenland deal — but not Greenland

US president claims ‘permanent control’ over Greenland’s security as Denmark insists sovereignty remains firmly in place

Trump declares victory

Donald Trump has declared a breakthrough in his long-running Greenland campaign — but the Arctic island is staying under Danish sovereignty.

The US president says Washington has reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland giving America “permanent control” over security and other US needs on the strategically important island.

Trump says the deal completely addresses Washington's concerns and will allow the United States to begin developing a much larger military presence in Greenland.

But there is a striking difference between Trump's description of the agreement and what Denmark and Greenland say it means.

Greenland is NOT being handed over

Danish and Greenlandic officials have stressed that the agreement recognises their sovereignty and Greenlanders' right to self-determination.

The detailed terms have not yet been made public and the agreement still requires parliamentary approval.

It is expected to be signed at the United Nations General Assembly next week.

Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said he hoped the deal would replace a long period of uncertainty with a binding agreement strengthening security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also welcomed the agreement, saying it would strengthen the island's security and benefit its continued development.

So what has Trump actually won?

The United States already has extensive military rights in Greenland under a 1951 defence agreement and operates Pituffik Space Base in the northwest of the island.

The new agreement is expected to allow a substantially greater American military presence.

A US State Department official said the pact would prevent non-NATO countries from establishing military bases in Greenland and restrict hostile powers from making certain investments there.

That would directly address Washington's concerns about Russia and China gaining a foothold in the Arctic.

But Denmark and Greenland have not publicly confirmed all of those details.

And crucially, there has been no transfer of sovereignty to the United States.

From takeover threats to a security pact

That marks a dramatic change from where this dispute began.

Trump had repeatedly argued that the United States needed to control Greenland for national security reasons and had refused to rule out using force to take the island.

Denmark and Greenland repeatedly responded that Greenland was not for sale.

The new agreement therefore gives Trump something considerably different from the territorial takeover he once demanded: expanded American military and security access without Greenland becoming American territory.

One Arctic security expert described it as a significant achievement for Trump because his pressure on Denmark and Greenland produced a new arrangement.

Another Danish expert noted that Trump had not obtained the sovereign control over Greenland that he originally sought.

A deal — but plenty still unknown

The agreement is being welcomed by NATO, with the alliance describing it as positive for security and cooperation in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

But many of the most important details remain behind closed doors.

How many additional US troops could be stationed there? What new bases could be built? How much influence would Washington have over security decisions? And what, if anything, does the agreement say about Greenland's valuable natural resources?

Those questions remain unanswered.

For now, Trump can claim a Greenland breakthrough.

Denmark can say its sovereignty remains intact.

And Greenland can say it has gained a new security arrangement without being sold to America.

Trump wanted Greenland. What he appears to have got instead is something much more complicated — and potentially much more useful.

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It seems that the 'deal' has simply formalised what Greenland, Denmark and NATO where happy to do on the nod with the US.......but I guess it makes sense to formailse it.

What he really wanted ( if they were really worried about security why have they reduced their garrison to a 100 "space cadets"?) was unfettered access to Greenland's mineral resources, for his oligarch supporters to get rich on. He hasn't got that. If he manages to retain any executive power after the mid term elections he will be back, demanding, threatening and alternately whining and bragging. Bullies do not go away.