US to reopen Cold War-era base, set up new military presence in Greenland: Report

US to reopen Cold War-era base, set up new military presence in Greenland. (Reuters image)

The United States plans to reopen a former Cold War-era military base in southern Greenland and establish a military presence at an eastern Greenland outpost currently used by Denmark's Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, according to report by Reuters.The move is expected to be part of a new security agreement between the United States, Denmark and Greenland that the three sides are expected to sign on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.The sites are Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland, where the US operated the Bluie West One military base until the 1950s, and Mestersvig on Greenland's east coast, which is currently used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a Danish special forces unit, two of the sources said.The agreement is expected to be signed at the UN General Assembly in New York at 10:30 a.m. ET (1430 GMT) on Tuesday.The text of the agreement has not been made public. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said its details had not been finalised and could change before the signing.The governments of Denmark and Greenland did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The White House also did not immediately respond.

Deal follows Trump's pressure over Greenland

The agreement comes after months of pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly said he wants the United States to control Greenland and has at times declined to rule out using military or economic force to acquire the semi-autonomous Danish territory.Trump's threats, which intensified in January, triggered a diplomatic crisis within NATO and led Denmark and Greenland to negotiate with Washington in an effort to ease tensions.Denmark has said the new agreement would place Arctic security within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization rather than leave responsibility solely with the United States and Denmark.

US military presence in Greenland

The United States maintained a much larger military presence in Greenland during the Cold War, operating 17 military installations and deploying more than 10,000 personnel there.Today, only Pituffik Space Base remains as a US military installation in Greenland, with around 150 US military personnel.The planned return to Narsarsuaq and presence at Mestersvig would expand the US military footprint on the strategically important Arctic island, although the precise scale and nature of the deployments were not immediately clear.Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark and occupies a strategically important position between North America and Europe. Its location also makes it important for monitoring activity in the Arctic and the North Atlantic.