WASHINGTON: The draft agreement on Greenland proposed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to US President Donald Trump provides for Denmar...
WASHINGTON: The draft agreement on Greenland proposed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to US President Donald Trump provides for Denmark to retain sovereignty over the island while updating the terms of the 1951 defense agreement, Axios reported, citing two sources.
"Two sources with knowledge of Rutte's proposal said it doesn't include the transfer of overall sovereignty over Greenland from Denmark to the United States," the article says. "The plan includes updating the 1951 ‘Greenland Defense Agreement’ between the US and Denmark, which allowed the US to build military bases on the island and establish ‘defense areas’ if NATO believed it necessary," the portal notes.
According to the sources, the agreement also envisages intensified NATO activity in the Arctic, stronger security for Greenland, and the extraction of raw materials on the island. The proposal further provides for the deployment of elements of the US Golden Dome missile defense system in Greenland and for countering "malign outside influence" from Russia and China.
"The ideas raised by Rutte echo the Danish proposal that has long been on the table: Denmark retains sovereignty [over Greenland], but the US is able to increase its military presence," Axios points out.
Trump previously told reporters in Davos that a framework for a future deal on Greenland had been prepared. He did not disclose the details, promising that the terms would be explained later. The US leader also said that the previously announced tariffs against European countries supporting Greenland would not be imposed on February 1.
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