Wetin dey inside di deal US and Denmark reach ova Greenland afta Trump threats

People bear Greenlandic flags as dem gada for di front of US consulate for Nuuk, Greenland, during one protest against President Donald Trump announced intent to acquire Greenland for January 2026

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Wetin we call dis foto, Greenlanders bin protest Trump ambitions for di territory for di kontri capital, Nuuk, earlier dis year
    • Author, Oliver O'Connell
    • Author, Max Matza
    • Author, Adrienne Murray
    • Reporting from, Copenhagen
  • Published
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Di US and Denmark don announce deal for Greenland security. Dis go solve di diplomatic wahala wey President Donald Trump cause wit im threat to seize am by force.

Trump tok say di agreement go give di US "permanent control ova security, and all oda needs" for di semi-autonomous Danish territory.

Di leaders of Denmark and Greenland bin welcome di deal to "strengthen security" for di region, wey dem say dey expected to dey signed next week but, dem no go tok wetin e dey about.

Di announcement dey come months afta Trump threaten to "take" Greenland sake of national security concerns, sake of im strategic location for defence purposes and im mineral wealth.

Wetin e mean for Greenland and Danish

Dem neva release anytin about di agreement. But Trump tok for Truth Social say di deal no cost di United States anytin, and e go give di ability to do wetin dey necessary to "secure and defend di security of Greenland".

E say rule dey, wey be say no US enemy fit get military presence for Greenland or "make sensitive investments for Greenland witout our express written approval".

Denmark Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, tok say she "happy say e look like say all di three parties go reach better agreement." Dem expect say dem go sign di agreement for di UN General Assembly meeting next week.

Di deal "go strengthen our common security for di Arctic plus di North Atlantic area" e go also recognise "di sovereignty and territorial integrity of di Kingdom and di right of di Greenlandic pipo to self-determination", she tok for one joint statement wit Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

Di agreement go still need to go through "di necessary parliamentary procedures to enta into force" once dem sign, di statement note.

Nielsen tok say e sweet am well-well say dem don dey close to signing one agreement wey go make security stronger and beta for Greenland, Denmark Kingdom, United States, and all di countries wey dey di Western alliance.

"Di agreement go recognise all Greenland interests and our place for international co-operation. Na for di benefit of us all," e tok.

One Nato tok-tok pesin, tok say di military alliance welcome di deal wey go "help advance security, stability and cooperation for dis important region".

JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance pictured with the commander of the US military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland in March. They are surrounded by a snowy landscape.

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

Wetin we call dis foto, US Vice-President JD Vance tour one US military base for Greenland earlier dis year

Trump don try for months to buy or annex di semi-autonomous territory, as e argue say e dey at risk to adversaries wey include Russia and China.

Im repeated demands to take Greenland earlier dis year bin lead to one outcry from Greenlanders, Danes and oda Nato members.

Hope dey say dis go end di gbege as some Danish tori pipo say, di agreement na quiet but ogbonge win for di kontri diplomacy.

E neva dey clear yet wetin dem agree give as concession or special incentive, if dem even agree any at all. And for Greenland, some pipo still dey worry and no too trust di situation yet.

MP Naaja Nathanielsen bin write for social media say, "na di news wey we hope for. E dey important say any agreement maintain our right to self-determination".

Former Greenlandic politician Aaja Chemnitz tok say she dey wait till di deal dey finalised sake of say "I no get confidence in Trump like dat".

Map show di location of Greenland and di capital Nuuk, relatively to Denmark, Canada and United States. Also labelled for di US capital Washington.
Wetin we call dis foto, Greenland location between North America plus di Arctic make am well placed for early warning systems for missile attacks, and for monitoring vessels

Wetin dey inside di deal

Dem neva publish di text of di agreement. BBC don contact Danish Embassy for US and di White House.

But one unnamed US State Department official explain di deal small, without giving full details.

One of di things wey dey inside, na say di deal no go expire even if Greenland later become independent kontri for future.

Di official still add say under di deal, US get unilateral power to build additional military structures without needing approval from Greenland or Denmark.

E include "permanent access, basing and overflights rights," di official talk.

E also ban non-Nato countries from building bases for Greenland, and "e ban adversaries from making investments for Greenland wey fit threaten di United States.

"Di official still tok say under di current situation, adversaries bin dey allowed to invest for Greenland "sensitive sectors without any investment screening.

"Di official specifically mention Russia and China, say di deal go block dem from deploying troops or making investments for "sensitive sectors."

Since dem neva release di official text, e neva clear how exactly di deal go take different from di 1951 agreement wey dem get with Denmark, wey allow US to send as many troops as dem want go Greenland.

US alreadi get more dan 100 military personnel wey dey permanently for dia Pituffik base for north-western tip of di territory.

Trump tok say Greenland dey very important for im plan to build Golden Dome defence system, wey dem design to protect US from missile attack from Russia and China, and say European allies fit join hand for di work.

Di island get plenti reserve of rare earth minerals, many of dem na important things for technologies like mobile phones and electric vehicles.