By Gram Slattery, Erin Banco, Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Stine Jacobsen
WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) – The United States, Denmark and Greenland have entered into an agreement that will see the US develop a significant military presence on the island, while prohibiting US adversaries from building their own bases there, Donald Trump said on Friday.
In a Truth Social post, the US president wrote that no US enemies would be able to make sensitive investments on the island without the approval of the United States and that the agreement had no expiry date.
“At my direction, we worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland in order to secure and defend the security of Greenland, and the United States of America,” Trump wrote.
“Additionally, from now on, no U.S. adversary can EVER have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written approval.”
Earlier on Friday, Reuters exclusively reported that the US and Greenland were closing in on a deal for the island that would result in an increased US military presence, but would stop well short of Trump’s long-held dream of acquiring the island for the United States.
(Reporting by Gram Slattery and Erin Banco in Washington and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen; Editing by Don Durfee and Rosalba O’Brien)
