American General Gregory Guillotwho is commander-in-chief of the North American forces participated last week in a senate hearing in Washingtonwhere he said, among other things, that there was good and constructive cooperation with Denmark and Greenland, and that access to three more defense areas in addition to the Pituffik Space Base was currently being negotiated.
– Together with Denmark and Greenland, we are looking at an expansion of the defense areas in Greenland, which is allowed according to the base agreement from 1951. There are three areas that we would like to negotiate with Denmark and Greenland about, to see if we can expand the defense areas from Pituffik Space Base, where we are today, to these other areas, which will support our defense options, said Gregory Guillot.
American General Gregory Guillotwho is commander-in-chief of the North American forces participated last week in a senate hearing in Washingtonwhere he said, among other things, that there was good and constructive cooperation with Denmark and Greenland, and that access to three more defense areas in addition to the Pituffik Space Base was currently being negotiated.
– Together with Denmark and Greenland, we are looking at an expansion of the defense areas in Greenland, which is allowed according to the base agreement from 1951. There are three areas that we would like to negotiate with Denmark and Greenland about, to see if we can expand the defense areas from Pituffik Space Base, where we are today, to these other areas, which will support our defense options, said Gregory Guillot.
Senators from the delegation to Denmark
During the hearing, the general was questioned, among other things, by the two senators Jeanne Shaheen and Angus King, who were both part of the delegation that visited Denmark in January to express their distance from President Trump’s wish for an annexation of Greenland.
To the question from Jeanne Shaheen about how the general experienced the cooperation with Denmark and Greenland, Gregory Guillot replied that “there was a very strong cooperation and that all requests and opportunities for cooperation were fulfilled” and when Senator Angus King later inquired further about the cooperation and whether the US defense experienced resistance in relation to the US’s desire to establish additional security measures in Greenland, the general replied:
– We find both Denmark and Greenland to be very cooperative and eager to discuss new ways to improve defense capabilities.
The general further referred to the base agreement as very favorable for the American operations in Greenland, and mentioned that there was therefore no need for a new agreement.
Several bases are within the agreement
Associate Professor at the Defense Academy Peter Viggo Jakobsen completely agrees that the US can establish more bases in Greenland within the framework of the defense agreement from 1951.
– In the agreement it is precisely stated that if the USA needs additional areas in Greenland, then they simply have to inform Greenland and Denmark.
It was not clear from the Senate hearing which areas the US was interested in. However, Senator Angus King mentioned that he was concerned about the lack of a deep-water port in the Arctic, to which the general said that work was being done to develop more ports and airstrips from Alaska across Canada to Greenland.
Airstrip in Kangerlussuaq
Peter Viggo Jakobsen also prefers not to comment on which new areas the US might be interested in. However, he says that it could well be about Kangerlussuaq, and that it could also involve setting up radars or other forms of surveillance in various places in Greenland.
– It is clear that the Americans could well have an interest in using Kangerlussuaq, which is also one of the reasons why Denmark has improved and modernized the runway.
– And since there has been a large airport in Nuuk, that could also be an option. But conversely, I could also imagine that it would cause some trouble from at least the Naleraq party.
Deep water port in Qaqortoq
Denmark and Greenland recently entered into an agreement on the establishment of a new regional runway in Ittoqqortoormiit and a deep-water port in Qaqortoq.
According to Peter Viggo Jakobsen, one could also imagine that the two infrastructure projects could be used by the USA.
– If you still have plans to build some new infrastructure, then you can adapt it so that it can be used for several purposes, including by the American military.
Greenland crisis averted
According to Peter Viggo Jakobsen, the senate hearing testifies that the issue of Greenland has now moved from the politicians to the professionals.
– We have always had difficulty understanding why Trump got so worked up when there is a possibility of an increased American presence within the base agreement of 1951. This shows that the matter has now moved over to the professionals. Those who actually have to work with it. And if you can decouple the matter from Trump, then you can make the cooperation work, says Peter Viggo Jakobsen, who predicts, however, that the American president is not finished with Greenland.
– But the more we accommodate the real American wishes in negotiations, the more difficult it will be for Trump to create support in the US to do something foolish, so that way we have probably put the Greenland crisis on hold.
