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The United States is planning to establish two new military bases in Greenland as part of efforts to expand its presence on the Arctic island, Danish public broadcaster DR reported on Tuesday.
The locations have not yet been decided, but Washington has repeatedly expressed interest in Narsarsuaq Airport in southern Greenland, according to information obtained by DR.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington would “immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the relevant part of Greenland.”
Concerns over possible base in Narsarsuaq
The reported plan has raised concerns among residents of Narsarsuaq, where homes are located close to the airport runway.
Malene Vahl Rasmussen, mayor of the Kujalleq Municipality, said the municipality “will not compromise on civil rights and settlement status in relation to opening a base in Narsarsuaq.”
Aqqaluk Lynge, founder of Greenland’s Inuit Ataqatigiit party and former president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, said space for civilian activities must be preserved if a military base is established.
Security agreement expected in New York
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus declined to comment on the reported details.
“We cannot comment on the matter until we have a signed agreement,” Frederiksen told DR.
Trump, Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen are expected to sign a security agreement in New York on Tuesday.
US military presence in Greenland
Narsarsuaq previously hosted a major US military installation, known as Bluie West One, from 1941 to 1958. The runway was later transferred to Denmark and converted into a civilian airport.
The US currently operates one military facility in Greenland: the Pituffik Space Base in the island’s northwest.
