US, Denmark, Greenland to sign Arctic security deal at UN

The United States, Denmark, and Greenland are expected to sign a trilateral security agreement on Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly, a deal that would reopen a former Cold War military base and establish a new U.S. presence in the strategically important Arctic territory. According to people familiar with the matter, the agreement will see the U.S. reopen the Narsarsuaq base in southern Greenland and establish a military presence at Mestersvig on the east coast. Mestersvig is currently used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a Danish special forces unit. The signing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET at the UN General Assembly in New York. The full text of the agreement has not been made public, and sources said its details are not finalized until it is signed. The governments of Denmark, Greenland, and the White House did not immediately comment on the deal. Denmark has framed the agreement as placing Arctic security under the broader umbrella of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, rather than leaving it solely to the U.S. and Denmark. NATO has welcomed the agreement as supporting security and cooperation in the region.