US, Denmark and Greenland sign agreement on expanding American presence on the island on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly

The United States, Denmark and its autonomous territory Greenland signed an agreement in New York on Tuesday to expand the US military presence on the strategically important island. At a ceremony held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the agreement was signed by US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

Under this large-scale security agreement, the United States will be allowed to modernise and expand its activities at the existing Pituffik Space Base in a remote northwestern part of Greenland, as well as create an additional defence area in Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig. The agreement also allows American aircraft to fly and land anywhere in Greenland, including its territorial waters.

The agreement states that no non-NATO state "will be allowed to establish its own manned or unmanned military facilities" in Greenland. It also prohibits non-NATO or non-EU countries from controlling sensitive sectors of the territory.

The document confirms "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark" and recognises that the people of Greenland have "the right to self-determination." The agreement enters into force on the day a diplomatic note is sent to the United States on the completion by the Kingdom of Denmark, together with Greenland, of the necessary parliamentary procedures.

As reported by CCTV+, the signing of the agreement marked an important step in strengthening security in the Arctic. The document takes into account the interests of all three parties and confirms commitment to the principles of sovereignty and self-determination, which is especially important amid growing attention to Greenland's strategic importance.