Andy Burnham has welcomed a US‑Denmark agreement aimed at bolstering Arctic security after a months‑long dispute over Greenland. Nato said the pact would help stabilise the region, while President Trump described it as giving the US long‑term security authority. Denmark and Greenland emphasised that the agreement recognises Greenlandic sovereignty and the right to self‑determination, but the deal still requires parliamentary approval and the full text has not been published. It is expected to be signed at the UN General Assembly next week.
Burnham Hails US‑Denmark Greenland Security Deal Ahead Of First Meeting With Trump
[EPA]
Andy Burnham has praised a new agreement between Denmark and the United States intended to strengthen security in the Arctic after months of tensions over Greenland.
Downing Street said the UK prime minister and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen spoke by phone on Sunday and "welcomed the US's commitment to the region." Nato has said the pact will help to stabilise the High North.
President Donald Trump described the arrangement as giving the US long‑term security authority in Greenland. No full text of the deal has been published, but Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social that the agreement came at 'no cost to the United States' and would allow the US to 'do what is necessary' to secure Greenland.
Mr Trump also said the deal would prevent any US adversary from maintaining a military presence in Greenland or making 'sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written approval.'
A No 10 readout said Burnham and Frederiksen "welcomed the US's commitment to the region and underlined the strategic and shared importance of the High North for Euro‑Atlantic security." The prime minister reportedly congratulated Denmark and said he would pass on his congratulations to President Trump.
Greenlanders protested against Trump's ambitions for the territory in the country's capital, Nuuk, earlier this year [Getty Images]
Not all responses were positive. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called the announcement a "pretend" victory, arguing the terms are largely a near‑carbon copy of arrangements that have existed since the 1950s. Earlier this year, protesters in Nuuk demonstrated against Mr Trump's reported interest in buying or annexing Greenland.
In a joint statement, Prime Minister Frederiksen and Greenland's prime minister, Jens‑Frederik Nielsen, said the agreement "strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area" while recognising "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self‑determination." The statement added the pact must still pass the necessary parliamentary procedures before entering into force.
The deal is expected to be finalised and signed at the United Nations General Assembly next week. Mr Burnham, who has spoken to Mr Trump since taking office, is due to meet the US president for the first time at UNGA and plans to press on issues including the cost of living and the war in Ukraine.
What Remains Unclear
Key details of the agreement have not been released publicly, including the full legal text and the precise mechanisms for how Greenlandic sovereignty and local consent will be protected in practice. Parliamentary review in Denmark and consultation with Greenlandic authorities will determine the deal's path to implementation.
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