US and Denmark in talks over new American bases in Greenland
The United States is holding regular talks with Denmark over expanding its military presence in Greenland, with officials discussing plans for three new bases in the south of the territory.
Multiple officials familiar with the negotiations said the discussions have been progressing in recent months.
The White House confirmed that high-level talks were under way with Greenland and Denmark, while declining to give details.
A White House official said the administration was optimistic the talks were moving in the right direction.
Denmark's foreign ministry also confirmed that an ongoing diplomatic track with the United States was taking place.
The talks matter because they point to a possible deepening of the US military footprint in a strategically important part of the North Atlantic.
Officials said the proposed bases would focus on surveillance of potential Russian and Chinese maritime activity in the GIUK Gap, the stretch between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom.
The negotiations are also taking place against the backdrop of a diplomatic crisis triggered by President Donald Trump's earlier threats over Greenland.
He said in January that the US should "own" Greenland to prevent Russia or China from taking it, and suggested it could happen the "easy way" or the "hard way".
According to one source with knowledge of the talks, US officials have floated an arrangement in which the three new bases would be formally designated as US sovereign territory.
The two sides have not formally agreed anything yet, and the final number of bases could still change.
One of the sites being discussed is Narsarsuaq, where a former US military base once operated alongside a small airport.
