While in talks with Denmark and Greenland in Washington, the US has demanded a “major role” in Greenland, The New York Times reported Monday.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly raised the notion of US control over Greenland, citing national security concerns related to Russia and China.
For the past four months, US, Greenlandic, and Danish officials have held secret talks in Washington about Greenland’s future, the report said.
The discussions aimed to ease Trump’s threats of taking Greenland by force and prevent tensions from damaging NATO.
However, Greenlandic leaders are uneasy about proposals for a much larger US presence on the island and worry Trump could refocus pressure on the country if the Iran war ends. Some are even wary of June 14, Trump’s 80th birthday, being a catalyst for the US president seeking a victory to mark the occasion.
The US wants to revise a long-standing military agreement so American troops could stay in Greenland indefinitely, even if it becomes independent, an unpopular idea among Greenlanders, according to the report.
Washington is also seeking influence over major investment deals to block rivals such as Russia and China, which both Greenland and Denmark oppose.
At the same time, the US is exploring cooperation on Greenland’s vast reserves of oil, uranium, rare earths, and other critical minerals.
The Pentagon is already advancing plans for a larger military footprint in southern Greenland, the report said.
Greenlandic officials fear the US demands would “amount to a major imposition on their sovereignty,” the report said.
