Greenland backs new Arctic security pact

The Arctic region has faced months of diplomatic friction over its strategic importance. On Tuesday, the Greenlandic parliament voted to approve a security agreement with Denmark and the United States.

The vote, held in the capital of Nuuk, passed 16 to 0 with seven abstentions. The deal facilitates the expansion of U.S. military bases on the island. It keeps Greenland under Danish control even as it increases American military presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

The agreement was signed in September by U.S. President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen. They met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The deal addresses Trump’s repeated calls for the island to join the United States. It paves the way for a stronger U.S. footprint while preserving the territory’s current political status.

In Ilulissat, 570 kilometers north of Nuuk, residents reacted to the news with mixed feelings. Nukaaka Lund-Mathaeussen, a 28-year-old resident, told the Associated Press she hoped the deal meant the U.S. administration "got what they wanted." She expressed relief that they would not face further underhanded threats. However, she noted that regular residents feel powerless against the diplomatic machinery. "It’s a big machine," she said, "and being a small person here in Greenland, it’s hard to have any influences on those things."

Local officials and workers remain skeptical about the economic benefits for the island. Lars Erik Gabrielsen, the mayor of Avannaata Municipality, called the pact a good deal for Denmark and NATO but not for Greenland. He stated there were no benefits or money for local society. Nukaaraq Thomsen, a 43-year-old incineration plant worker, agreed, saying the arrangement is safe for the land but not for the people.

The agreement specifies that Washington will award contracts for goods and services related to military bases to Greenlandic sources to the maximum extent possible. The State Department described the vote as a major victory for American national security. It said the move ensures the region remains free of adversarial threats. Danish lawmakers are scheduled to debate the agreement later this month.

The deal will enter into force once the necessary parliamentary processes in Denmark and Greenland are completed. Jens-Frederik Nielsen posted on Facebook that Greenlanders stood united during the geopolitical tensions. He emphasized that the island decides its own fate and will always be the Greenlanders' country.