The signing on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York comes days after Trump announced the deal to bolster the U.S. military presence on Greenland but keep it under Danish control. The agreement would still apply if Greenland eventually chooses independence.
“This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody,” Trump said just before the agreement was signed. “And for Greenland, it’s going to be incredible.”
Trump has expressed his desire to acquire Greenland since as long ago as 2019 and, during his second term, issued threats to seize the semi-autonomous territory from Denmark, a NATO ally. On Tuesday, he did not respond to questions about whether a U.S. acquisition of Greenland was off the table.
CBC: Trump is hailing his new deal with Greenland and Denmark — but a deal already existed. So what changed?
NY Times: For Trump, it was a major retreat. He first raised the possibility of buying Greenland during his first term, and never let go of the idea. Even before he was inaugurated, he was making a national security case for making the territory part of the US. Few issues did more to galvanize Europeans against the Trump administration, especially once they feared that he might make a military move against a NATO member.
