Greenland approves security deal with U.S., Denmark amid Trump pressure

Greenlandic lawmakers on Tuesday voted to approve an agreement between the Arctic island, Denmark and the United States to strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic after months of pressure by U.S. President Donald Trump seeking to control the semiautonomous territory of a NATO ally.

The trilateral deal paves the way for more U.S. bases in Greenland and eases tensions over Trump’s repeated calls for the vast island to become part of the United States. The agreement’s goal is to bolster the U.S. military presence on Greenland but keep the self-governing island under Danish control. It would still apply if Greenland eventually chooses independence.

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Greenlandic lawmakers voted 16-0 for the agreement, with seven abstentions.

Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen signed the agreement in September on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

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Danish lawmakers are set to debate it later this month. The deal will “enter into force” once the “necessary parliamentary processes of the Kingdom of Denmark, in conjunction with Greenland, have been completed.”

–Dazio reported from Berlin and Manenkov reported from Tallinn, Estonia.