U.S., Denmark and Greenland set to sign Arctic security deal expanding US presence – WPEC

U.S., Denmark and Greenland set to sign Arctic security deal expanding US presence  WPEC

President Donald Trump is heading into a consequential week of foreign policy meetings with a new Arctic security agreement involving Greenland and Denmark and an upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The United States, Denmark and Greenland are expected to sign the Greenland security agreement Tuesday during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The deal would allow a significant expansion of the U.S. military presence on the Arctic island while preventing adversaries from establishing military bases there. Denmark says the agreement will place Arctic security under a broader NATO framework. Denmark and Greenland have stressed that the agreement does not compromise Greenland's sovereignty or its people's right to self-determination.

Some key details, including the scale of the planned U.S. military buildup, have not yet been made public. Speaking with The National News Desk, Washington insider Armstrong Williams called the agreement strategically significant. "What the president secured strategically is really significant because America and NATO [share] the responsibility for Arctic security without, as you mentioned, changing Greenland's sovereignty," Williams said. The Arctic has become increasingly important to the United States and its allies because of its location, emerging shipping routes, military significance and deposits of critical minerals. "The Arctic is becoming a major arena for this missile defense, U.S. shipping routes and critical minerals that are very vital