The United States is negotiating three new defense areas in Greenland

The American General Gregory Guillot, who is the commander of the North American forces, participated in a Senate hearing in Washington last week, where he said, among other things, that there was good and constructive cooperation with Denmark and Greenland, and that access to three additional defense areas in addition to Pituffik Space Base was currently being negotiated.

– We are looking together with Denmark and Greenland at an expansion of the defense areas in Greenland, which is allowed under the base agreement from 1951. There are three areas that we would like to negotiate with Denmark and Greenland to see if we can expand the defense areas from Pituffik Space Base, where we are today, to these other areas, which will support our defense capabilities, said Gregory Guillot.

Senators from delegation to Denmark

During the hearing, the general was questioned, among others, by the two Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Angus King, both of whom were part of the delegation that visited Denmark in January to express their opposition to President Trump's desire for an annexation of Greenland.

When asked by Jeanne Shaheen about how the general experienced the cooperation with Denmark and Greenland, Gregory Guillot replied that “there was a very strong cooperation, and that all requests and opportunities for cooperation were fulfilled” and when Senator Angus King later asked further about the cooperation, and whether the US defense experienced resistance in relation to the US desire to establish additional security measures in Greenland, the general replied:

– We experience both Denmark and Greenland as very cooperative, and eager to discuss new ways to improve defense capabilities.

The general further mentioned the base agreement as very favorable for the US operations in Greenland, and mentioned that there was therefore no need for a new agreement.

More bases are within the scope of the agreement

Associate professor at the Danish Defence Academy Peter Viggo Jakobsen fully agrees that the US can establish more bases in Greenland within the framework of the 1951 defence agreement.

– The agreement states that if the US needs additional areas in Greenland, they simply have to inform Greenland and Denmark.

It was not clear from the Senate hearing which areas the US was interested in. However, Senator Angus King mentioned that he was concerned about the lack of a deep-water port in the Arctic, to which the general said that work was being done to develop more ports and runways from Alaska across Canada to Greenland.

Airstrip in Kangerlussuaq

Peter Viggo Jakobsen would rather not make any suggestions as to which new areas the US might be interested in. But he does say that it could well be about Kangerlussuaq, and that there could also be talk of setting up radars or other forms of surveillance in various places in Greenland.

– It is clear that the Americans could well have an interest in using Kangerlussuaq, which is also one of the reasons why Denmark has improved and modernized the runway.

– And since a large airport has been built in Nuuk, that could also be a possibility. But conversely, I could also imagine that it would cause some trouble from at least the Naleraq party.

Deepwater port in Qaqortoq

Denmark and Greenland recently entered into an agreement to establish a new regional runway in Ittoqqortoormiit and a deepwater port in Qaqortoq.

According to Peter Viggo Jakobsen, it could also be imagined that the two infrastructure projects could be used by the USA.

– If you still have plans to build some new infrastructure, you can adapt it so that it can be used for multiple purposes, including by the US military.

Greenland crisis called off

According to Peter Viggo Jakobsen, the Senate hearing shows that the issue of Greenland has now been moved from politicians to professionals.

– We have always had difficulty understanding why Trump got so angry when there is a possibility of increased American presence within the base agreement of 1951. This shows that the matter has now been transferred to the professionals. Those who are actually going to work on it. And if you can decouple the matter from Trump, then you can make the cooperation work, says Peter Viggo Jakobsen, who, however, predicts that the American president is not finished with Greenland.

– But the more we accommodate the real American wishes in negotiations, the harder it will be for Trump to create support in the USA to do something foolish, so in that way we have probably managed to park the Greenland crisis.