- Washington Reportedly Set to Re-establish Cold War-Era Base and Establish New Military Facility
WASHINGTON: The United States plans to expand its military presence in Greenland by gaining access to two additional military sites under a new agreement with Denmark, Reuters reported.
According to the report, the proposed arrangement would allow the United States to re-establish a former Cold War-era military base in southern Greenland and establish another military facility in the east of the Arctic island.
The locations identified in the report are Narsarsuaq, where the US operated the Bluie West One military base before closing it in the 1950s, and Mestersvig, a remote military outpost currently used by a Danish special forces unit.
Denmark, Greenland and the United States are expected to sign the new agreement on September 22 during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The reported move would represent a significant expansion of US military access in Greenland, a strategically important Arctic territory situated between North America and Europe.
US President Donald Trump has previously said that Washington and Copenhagen had reached an understanding on Greenland’s security and that the United States would begin increasing its military presence on the island.
Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has gained increasing strategic importance because of its location in the Arctic and its proximity to key North Atlantic and Arctic routes.
BY: The Times Union
