How the US is Quietly Utilizing a 1951 Treaty to Flip Greenland Into its Latest Arctic Fortress

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How the US is Quietly Utilizing a 1951 Treaty to Flip Greenland Into its Latest Arctic Fortress

4 min learnUp to date: Apr 1, 2026 10:22 PM IST

America army is quietly laying the groundwork for its largest growth in Greenland in a long time, with the Pentagon in energetic negotiations with Denmark to realize entry to 3 extra websites, together with two beforehand deserted by People, on the strategically important Arctic island, The New York Instances reported. The transfer indicators that the Trump administration’s fixation on Greenland has not subsided; it has merely shifted from bluster to logistics.

The transfer would mark the primary US growth there in a long time. The talks had been confirmed by Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, the top of US Northern Command, throughout congressional testimony in mid-March, the report added.

What the Pentagon needs

Guillot instructed lawmakers the army wished “elevated entry to completely different bases throughout Greenland as we take a look at the growing menace and the strategic significance of Greenland,” including that he was working to “develop extra ports, extra airfields, which ends up in extra choices for our secretary and for the president, ought to we’d like them up within the Arctic,” NYT reported.

The report recognized the cities of Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland, which gives a deep-water port, and Kangerlussuaq within the southwest, which already has an extended runway able to dealing with giant plane, as the 2 main goal websites. Each had been US bases throughout World Warfare II and the Chilly Warfare. People left Narsarsuaq within the Fifties and Kangerlussuaq within the Nineties, although each nonetheless have small functioning airports.

In keeping with Stars and Stripes, Guillot instructed the Senate Armed Companies Committee the US additionally needs so as to add area programs to allow the proposed Golden Dome missile defence structure, and the potential to launch fighters and tankers as a “first line of defence” towards cruise missiles from the Arctic.

Process & Function reported that NORTHCOM is concurrently working to restore and replace infrastructure at Pituffik, which has suffered “accelerated put on and tear” because of harsh Arctic situations, together with modernising the runway and buying a brand new vessel for patrolling the coast close to the bottom’s port.

The authorized lever: A 1951 treaty

The US is just not in search of a brand new settlement. Guillot instructed Congress there was no want for a brand new treaty, calling the prevailing 1951 Danish-American defence pact “very complete” and “frankly very beneficial to our operations or potential operations in Greenland,” the NYT report stated.

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Students quoted by the report say there’s little Denmark can do to dam the growth. Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior researcher on the Danish Institute for Worldwide Research, instructed the paper that Denmark and Greenland can “in precept” refuse, “however in follow, you by no means do this. As a result of in the event you do, the US can body Denmark and Greenland’s management of the island as a safety danger — and argue that it ought to take management itself.”

Denmark’s tough place

The request locations Denmark in a difficult spot, because the NYT famous. Greenland has been a part of the Danish kingdom for greater than 300 years, and Trump threatened to make use of power to accumulate it for months earlier than relenting in January. The Danish authorities had itself cited the 1951 pact to push again towards these threats, and is now watching Washington use the exact same settlement to map out an growth.

Process & Function reported that in January, allied nations, together with Germany, France, and the Netherlands, deployed troops to Greenland on a “reconnaissance mission” in assist of Denmark. In keeping with Danish public broadcaster DR, Danish forces had been totally ready for armed battle with American forces, bringing blood provides and explosives meant to explode runways at two areas, together with the capital Nuuk, to disclaim American planes entry to the island.

But when Democratic lawmakers requested Guillot whether or not Denmark or Greenland had thrown up any roadblocks to the present growth talks, he stated no. “They’ve been very, very supportive companions,” the final stated, based on NYT.

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