NY Times: The US Already Has a Free Hand in Greenland

This is a pretty interesting story from the NY Times, mostly because it seems to undermine a lot of the left-wing panic about what Trump might do in Greenland. According to the Times, the US doesn’t have to invade or take over the country if it wants to start building new military bases or airfields there. The US already has a free hand to do just about anything it wants in Greenland based on a treaty signed 75 years ago with Denmark.

Under a little-known Cold War agreement, the United States already enjoys sweeping military access in Greenland. Right now, the United States has one base in a very remote corner of the island. But the agreement allows it to “construct, install, maintain, and operate” military bases across Greenland, “house personnel” and “control landings, takeoffs, anchorages, moorings, movements, and operation of ships, aircraft, and waterborne craft.”

It was signed in 1951 by the United States and Denmark, which colonized Greenland more than 300 years ago and still controls some of its affairs.

“The U.S. has such a free hand in Greenland that it can pretty much do what it wants,” said Mikkel Runge Olesen, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies in Copenhagen.

“I have a very hard time seeing that the U.S. couldn’t get pretty much everything it wanted,” he said, adding, “if it just asked nicely.”

The agreement was updated in 2004 in order to recognize that Denmark was no longer in direct control Greenland. So in theory the populace of about 60,000 people does have some say but probably not enough to stop the US completely if we wanted to move forward with militarizing the island. We have to consult with them but we probably don’t have to abide by their opinions.

Denmark’s prime minister has resisted the idea of the US seizing or buying the island but admitted just a few days ago that the 1951 agreement already gives the US pretty wide latitude.

“We already have a defense agreement between the Kingdom and the United States today, which gives the United States wide access to Greenland.” She urged the United States “to stop the threats” and said an American attack on Greenland would mean the end of the international world order.

This seems like a ‘why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?’ situation to me. Seizing or buying Greenland, will create all sorts of problems we don’t need and leave us responsible for whatever else happens there. By contrast, Trump could simply announce tomorrow that we intend to build 2 new military bases and send a few thousand soldiers to occupy them and there’s probably not much that anyone can do about it. Take the win.

There’s a chance that something like this will happen as soon as next week. Last night leaders in Denmark and Greenland asked to talk with Sec. of State Rubio. Today, Rubio announced he’d be meeting with them next week.

He was asked why the administration had not accepted Denmark’s request for a discussion about the island.

“I’ll be meeting with them next week,” Rubio replied.

So we’ll see what happens but maybe cooler heads will prevail in a face to face meeting.

On a less serious note, have you seen some of the Marco Rubio memes that are spreading online. They all use the same photo but the joke is that his portfolio of positions has now expanded to a ridiculous degree.

BEING MARCO: Rubio is Trump’s go-to ‘Acting Secretary’. Here’s Marco finding out he’s got to run Venezuela, Iran, Canada, Minnesota, Hilton, and Greenland… What am I missing? 🤣 pic.twitter.com/iyRskXRde9

— @amuse (@amuse) January 6, 2026

Now one more:

Rubio realizing he has to be Goverrnor of Greenland pic.twitter.com/S73Foe9GB7

— Peter R Hann Goldbug Weirdo/Silver Affectionado (@PeterRHann1) January 6, 2026

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