US plans two new military bases in Greenland: Report

The United States is planning to establish two new military bases in Greenland as part of a broader effort to expand its Arctic presence, with Washington expressing particular interest in the airport at Narsarsuaq, Danish public broadcaster DR reported on Tuesday.

Expansion plans

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington would "immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the relevant part of Greenland." The locations for the new facilities have yet to be determined, but Danish broadcaster DR reported that Washington has repeatedly expressed interest in the airport at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland.

Local concerns

The plan has raised concerns among residents of Narsarsuaq, where houses are situated close to the airport runway. Mayor of Kujalleq Municipality Malene Vahl Rasmussen said the municipality "will not compromise on civil rights and settlement status in relation to opening a base in Narsarsuaq." Aqqaluk Lynge, founder of Greenland's Inuit Ataqatigiit party and former president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, also stressed that space for civilian activities must be preserved if a base is established.

Copenhagen's stance

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus declined to comment on the reported details. "We cannot comment on the matter until we have a signed agreement," Frederiksen told DR. Trump, Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen are expected to sign a security agreement in New York on Tuesday.

Arctic presence

Narsarsuaq previously hosted a major US military installation known as Bluie West One between 1941 and 1958. Its runway was later transferred to Denmark and converted into a civilian airport. The US currently operates one military facility in Greenland, the Pituffik Space Base on the island's northwest.