Denmark Passes Bill Allowing US Military Bases on Danish Soil

Denmark’s parliament passed a bill on Wednesday that allows the United States to station military bases on Danish soil.

The legislation comes in response to President Donald Trump’s stated wish to take control of the Scandinavian nation’s semi-autonomous North American territory, Greenland, something he has previously described as an “absolute necessity.”

Now that the bill has passed through the Folketing in Copenhagen, the next step is for it to go to Danish King Frederik X for royal assent, which is a constitutional formality.

Ninety-four MPs voted in favor of the bill, while 11 voted against it.

Critics said the bill cedes Danish sovereignty to Washington, and the spokesperson of the socialist Red-Green Alliance, Pelle Dragsted, labelled the move a “gigantic failure.”

“It is an agreement that means that we will have areas in Denmark that are under American jurisdiction. Where Danish authorities cannot exercise control. And where mistreatment of prisoners can occur,” he told the parliament, according to Berlingske.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen argued that it was even more crucial to bring the United States closer to Denmark rather than pushing Washington away.

“The problem is not too much involvement from the United States in Europe. On the contrary, the risk is that the United States will withdraw and move troops away or stop donations to Ukraine,” she said.

The bill broadens a 2023 military agreement that granted American troops broad access to Danish air bases in the country.

Trump’s comments about Greenland, including refusing to rule out annexing the Arctic island by force, have prompted controversy both in the autonomous territory and in Copenhagen.

Greenland and Denmark said on April 27 that they would move to solidify their alliance amid Trump’s repeated statements that he wanted to buy the island.

The display of unity followed discussions in Copenhagen between Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Frederiksen.

“We are in a foreign policy situation, which means we have to move closer together,” Nielsen said during his trip to the Danish capital.

“We are ready for a strong partnership [with the United States] and more development, but we want respect. We will never be a piece of property that can be bought by anyone.”

During a speech delivered on Danish Constitution Day, June 5, Frederiksen said that both Denmark and Greenland had been subjected to “unacceptable pressure” from the United States, which she also called the country’s “closest ally.”

She added that Danes “would not bow down” to threats of annexation.

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron echoed the sentiments of the Danish and Greenlandic leaders during remarks at the opening of the U.N. Ocean Conference in Nice, on France’s Côte d’Azur.

“The abyss is not for sale, and neither is Greenland, nor is Antarctica, or the high seas,” he said.

Macron is set to visit the Arctic territory for a meeting with both Frederiksen and Nielsen on June 15.

Greenland, located to the northeast of Canada, offers strategic, political, and economic advantages, particularly as the United States looks to the Northwest Passage for shipping routes amid delays at the Panama Canal.

The island is also rich in natural resources, including rare earths, oil, and natural gas, although new drilling is currently prohibited.

Along with the United States, both China and Russia have shown a keen interest in taking control of the region.

Trump has expressed concerns over a growing Chinese and Russian naval presence in the region, suggesting that U.S. control of Greenland would ensure national and global security.

In March, Vice President JD Vance led a delegation to a U.S. Space Force base in Greenland.

During his trip, he accused Denmark of having “not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” comments that drew rebukes from the governments in both Copenhagen and the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk.

Polls on the island have shown that Greenlanders favor independence from Denmark, but also overwhelmingly oppose becoming part of the United States.