US military bases in Greenland are set to expand under a new Denmark-Greenland-US deal involving Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig.
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The United States plans to expand its military presence in Greenland with two additional sites under a new security agreement with Denmark and Greenland, according to Reuters. The US military bases in Greenland under Denmark deal are expected to include the re-establishment of a Cold War-era facility in southern Greenland and a new US presence at an eastern military outpost.
The agreement involving the United States, Denmark and Greenland is expected to be signed at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22. The Times of Russia reports that the planned expansion would add to the existing US military presence on the strategically important Arctic island.
US Military Bases in Greenland Under Denmark Deal
According to three people familiar with the matter cited by Reuters, the planned locations are Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and Mestersvig on the island’s east coast.
Narsarsuaq is the site of the former Bluie West One military base, which was operated by the United States during the Cold War before being closed in the 1950s. Its population has since declined to only a few dozen people.
The second location, Mestersvig, is a military outpost currently used by Denmark’s Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a Danish special forces unit.
The planned use of both sites would expand the existing US military presence in Greenland beyond the current US installation at Pituffik Space Base.
Denmark, Greenland and US Set to Sign Agreement
Denmark, Greenland and the United States are expected to sign the new US Denmark Greenland security agreement at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City at 10:30 a.m. ET (1430 GMT) on September 22.
The full text of the agreement has not been made public. The people familiar with the arrangement told Reuters that its details would not be finalized until it was signed.
The governments of Denmark and Greenland did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. A White House spokesperson also declined to provide details, repeating an earlier statement that the agreement would “secure and defend the security of Greenland and the United States.”
Arctic Security to Come Under NATO Framework
Denmark has said the agreement would place Arctic security under the watch of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, rather than leaving responsibility solely with the United States and Denmark.
The agreement follows months of pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly said he wants the United States to control Greenland and has at times refused to rule out military or economic force to acquire the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Those statements, which intensified in January, triggered a diplomatic crisis within NATO and led Denmark and Greenland to negotiate with Washington in an effort to ease the tensions.
Greenland’s Earlier US Military Presence
The planned Greenland military base expansion comes after a much larger US military footprint during the Cold War.
At that time, the United States maintained 17 military installations in Greenland and had more than 10,000 personnel stationed there. Today, only Pituffik Space Base remains as a US military installation on the island, with around 150 US military personnel.
The return to Narsarsuaq and the establishment of a presence at Mestersvig would therefore represent an expansion of the current US military footprint in Greenland.
What the New Greenland Military Agreement Means
The precise scale and nature of the planned deployments have not yet been disclosed. The agreement is expected to provide the framework for expanded US military activity while placing Arctic security within a NATO framework, according to Denmark.
The two proposed locations — Narsarsuaq military base and Mestersvig military outpost — have different histories and current uses. Narsarsuaq was formerly a US Cold War facility, while Mestersvig is currently associated with Denmark’s Sirius Dog Sled Patrol.
The Times of Russia will continue to follow developments surrounding the US military bases in Greenland under Denmark deal as the agreement is formally signed and further details become available.
