Information about new US bases does not worry expert: It is completely standard

American officials have allegedly proposed in the working group with Greenlandic and Danish representatives that three new US military bases be opened in South Greenland. This is reported by unnamed sources according to the British media BBC. The three bases are to be designated as US territory, it continues.

The bases are to focus on monitoring maritime activity from Russia and China in an area in the northern part of the Atlantic, writes BBC.

Previously, the New York Times has written that the US is interested in bases in Narsarsuaq and Kangerlussuaq. In addition, there has also been talk of a possible base in East Greenland.

American territory in Greenland

Currently, the US only has Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, which incidentally has the status of being a US territory.

This is said by associate professor at the Danish Defence Academy, Peter Viggo Jakobsen, who calls such base agreements quite common for the USA.

– The fact that it is American territory means that the USA can ensure that only they have access, and that they can have some things in their facilities that no one else has access to, or knows anything about. It is completely standard when the USA creates military bases, which they do everywhere in the world, including in Denmark at the three air stations in Karup, Skrydstrup and Aalborg, where a base agreement with the USA has recently been concluded.

Jobs as a result of service agreement

According to Peter Viggo Jakobsen, it is likely that the USA - if they establish new bases in Greenland - will also enter into a service agreement similar to the one they have entered into at Pituffik Space Base, where the Greenlandic-Danish company Inussuk has the service agreement.

The agreement states that civilian tasks on the base must be carried out to the greatest extent possible by Greenlandic/Danish labor and Greenlandic/Danish companies.

What do you think a possible future American base in Narsarsuaq could mean for the local population?

– I can imagine that the USA could use the runway in Narsarsuaq, and that they would also establish some areas where only Americans can access. But one does not exclude the other. There could well be a settlement in connection with the base, and in addition, one can well imagine that the USA is interested in entering into a service agreement similar to the one at Pituffik Space Base, which would create jobs for locals.

- And unlike when the agreement on Pituffik Space Base was concluded, in the current negotiations there are Greenlandic representatives at the table, who will have exactly these kinds of considerations, and who will focus on ensuring an agreement that is as sensible as possible for Greenland, says Peter Viggo Jakobsen.

Greenlandic officials in working group

The dialogue on Greenland between officials from Denmark and the USA has been ongoing since the beginning of 2026, after the US President, Donald Trump, repeatedly threatened to take over Greenland.

On 14 January, at a meeting in the White House in Washington D.C., it was agreed between Naalakkersuisut's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vivian Motzfeldt, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to set up a working group at official level, which, according to BBC sources, has met 5 times since January.

From the Greenlandic side, Head of Mission in Washington Jacob Isbosethsen and Head of Department for Foreign Affairs, Mininnguaq Klest, are participating in the working group's meetings.

Chairman rejects territorial surrender

Chairman of Naalakkersuisut Jens-Frederik Nielsen (D) participated in the international conference "Democracy Summit" in Copenhagen on Tuesday.

He stated on that occasion that Greenland will not "give up a stamp of our territory. That would be a red line".