US Thule Air Base in Greenland [AFP=Yonhap News Photo]

Greenland's Prime Minister stated that Greenland is discussing an expansion of the US military presence as part of negotiations to resolve conflicts with the United States.

According to Reuters, Greenland's Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede told reporters at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit hosted by the Danish non-profit organization Alliance of Democracies on the 12th (local time) that "Initially, the United States thought we were not doing enough in terms of national security and surveillance in this region. For this reason, security issues and an expansion of the US military presence in Greenland are part of the discussions."

Greenland experienced significant controversy earlier this year when US President Donald Trump explicitly expressed his desire to acquire the territory by force, stating it was essential for US security.

In late January, President Trump stepped back from his proposal to annex Greenland following backlash from NATO allies in Europe and persuasion from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Since then, the United States, Denmark, and Greenland have been engaged in diplomatic discussions to resolve the conflict.

While the specific details and outcomes of the ongoing negotiations have not yet been disclosed, the BBC reported that a US official involved in the talks indicated a plan to establish three new US military bases in southern Greenland and that the US government is considering designating these facilities as US territory.

Currently, the only military base operated by the US in Greenland is the Thule Air Base in the northwest. However, in 1945, the year World War II ended, thousands of US military personnel were stationed at 17 facilities across the island.

Reuters reported that General Gregory Guillot, commander of the US Northern Command, first revealed plans to establish three military bases in Greenland in a testimony to the US Senate in March, and that he had visited Copenhagen last week.

Local media have mentioned southern Narsarsuaq and southwestern Kangerlussuaq as potential sites for the military bases being considered by the US. Both of these areas had US military bases during World War II and the Cold War, and runway and port infrastructure still remains.

In this regard, Prime Minister Egede explained that under the defense agreement signed by both parties in 1951, it is already possible for the United States to establish additional bases in Greenland. He stated that the US military presence could be expanded based on the existing defense framework, or other methods could be considered.

Prime Minister Egede emphasized, "We are in negotiations, but we have not yet reached an agreement. I cannot comment on specific details of the negotiations, but we are prepared to do more for national and international security and take on more responsibility."

Prime Minister Egede, who has repeatedly stated that while he is open to expanding military and economic cooperation with the United States and cooperating in the field of mineral resources, his country's sovereignty is not a subject for negotiation, added, "Our only demand is respect (for us)."