WASHINGTON — President Trump said the United States will gain sovereignty over land in Greenland where American bases are located, taking ownership of those areas.
“Yeah,” he told The Post in an exclusive Oval Office interview on Friday. “We’ll have everything we want. We have some interesting talks going on.”
The president, for months, has put pressure on Denmark to hand over the entire island, saying “nothing short of ownership” was acceptable.
His desire for Greenland dominated much of his trip to Davos this week and, after a meeting with NATO Chief Mark Rutte, Trump announced there was a “framework” for a deal.
One of the proposals being discussed would stop short of total American ownership but allow the US “sovereignty” over military bases on the island, like the Pituffik Space Base.
It would be modeled on the “sovereign base area” agreement in Cyprus, where Britain’s military bases are regarded as British territory, a source familiar confirmed to The Post.
American officials have expressed concern that US military access on the island could be curbed or ended if Greenland were to obtain independence.
The area is critical to national security concerns in the Arctic.
But it’s unclear if Greenland is on board with the plan.
Greenland’s premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Thursday he was not in favor of sovereignty for American military bases.
“Sovereignty is a red line,” he said.
