Canada’s defence minister calls U.S. deal on Greenland ‘encouraging’

National Defence Minister David McGuinty says the United States’ deal to boost its military presence in Greenland while keeping the island under Danish control is “encouraging.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he has a deal with Denmark after months of threatening to take the island by force from the NATO ally.

The office of Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, says the agreement will be signed by three governments next week during the United Nations General Assembly, but parliamentary action is still needed by the Danish and Greenland governments before it can be enforced.

Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill on Saturday, McGuinty says it’s encouraging that the U.S. and Greenland have found a way to move forward together.

He also says Arctic nations are coming together, adding that it’s encouraging NATO allies understand that the Arctic is part of their responsibilities.

With his return to the White House last year, Trump called on Denmark to sell Greenland to the United States, and wouldn’t rule out taking the island by military force, even though Denmark is a NATO ally of the U.S.