Greenlandic lawmakers voted on Tuesday to approve the security agreement between Greenland, Denmark and the United States, voting 16 to 0 with seven abstentions, the Associated Press reported. The trilateral deal, signed in September by President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, is intended to strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic and paves the way for more US bases in Greenland. Reuters reported ahead of the vote that the deal expands the US military role, paving the way for two new military bases and the Golden Dome missile defence system, while reaffirming Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to self determination.
The agreement aims to bolster the US military presence while keeping the self governing island under Danish control, and it would still apply if Greenland eventually chooses independence. It will enter into force once the necessary parliamentary processes in Denmark, in conjunction with Greenland, have been completed. Reuters reported that the Danish parliament is due to give the bill a first reading on November 11, with a second reading and vote on November 19, and that the executive agreement does not require approval from the US Senate.