Filenews 23 January 2026
Few details have been released about the framework of a possible deal, which President Trump said he has reached with NATO for Greenland. One of the proposals under discussion would allow the United States to occupy areas in Greenland for military bases.
Western officials, who spoke to the New York Times, compared the idea to a 60-year-old agreement under which Britain operates sovereign military bases on the island of Cyprus. These bases, known as Sovereign Base Areas (S.B.A.s), hold a special place in international law, rooted deep in Britain's colonial history.
Experts have suggested that Trump may be interested in a similar arrangement, as the bases could offer the US a permanent presence in Greenland, greater control of the region and possibly the possibility of exploiting natural resources in Greenland and the Arctic Circle.
However, Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Thursday that he does not support ceding US sovereignty over military bases. "We are ready to discuss many issues," Nielsen said, adding: "Sovereignty is a red line."
The Bases in Cyprus and what they may mean for Greenland
The British Sovereign Bases in Cyprus consist of two large areas in the southwest and southeast of the island, covering approximately 100 square miles. They were founded in 1960, under an agreement that gave Cyprus its independence from Britain.
The bases are British overseas territories, such as Bermuda and the Falkland Islands, and although they resemble US military bases around the world — such as Guantánamo Naval Base in Cuba or Kadena in Okinawa, Japan — the bases in Cyprus are different. They are not just areas of control of military power, but are under full British rule.
"It means that officially British law applies and the sovereign Bases are not in the Republic of Cyprus or the EU," said Professor Costas Constantinou, lecturer in International Relations at the University of Cyprus.
The Bases have separate judicial systems and police services. But the borders are largely open and Cypriots do not need a passport to enter. Over the years, the bases have harmonized their laws on political issues with those of Cyprus, the professor noted.
The professor stressed that the idea of creating American bases in Greenland, similar to the British ones in Cyprus, could be much more beneficial for the US than occupying the whole of Greenland, which he had said was Trump's original goal. Such an arrangement would allow the US to avoid the costly and complex issues of population governance, as Britain has well learned in Cyprus, while the bases would be under full American control.
The British Bases in Cyprus do not give the UK an exclusive economic zone in the country, which would allow the exploitation of natural resources in the waters around the bases, said Professor Andreas Stergiou, an expert in European institutions and international relations. "The United Kingdom has never attempted to claim mineral exploitation in Cyprus, because it did not have full sovereignty."
In Greenland, however, this is what Trump could negotiate. "If the US intends to exploit the minerals in the Greenland region, it must provide for a special provision in the agreement," Professor Stergiou said. "Simply by establishing a military base they do not acquire the right, even if the base enjoys the special status of British sovereign bases in Cyprus," he added. "It's not enough."
The US already has a military base in northern Greenland, with extensive access to the territory. The creation of a sovereign base, however, could be a "stepping stone", according to Professor Stergiou, allowing the US to claim further "sovereign rights", which usually carry more weight in international law in future disputes over resources in the Arctic.
If Cyprus is the example, the establishment of a sovereign base in Greenland could cause tensions with locals and other world powers. Britain initially paid for the use of land in Cyprus, giving the local government about 12 million Cypriot pounds (about $33 million) from 1960 to 1965, before stopping payments. Since then there have been several unsuccessful attempts by Cyprus to force Britain to pay for the use of the land.
Over the years, some Cypriots have criticized the presence of the Bases, saying that they were created during independence without the consent of the general population. The bases have played a role in conflicts in the Middle East and have also been sites of protests against military action in Iraq and the war in Gaza.
Mr. Stergiou stressed that a dominant American presence in Greenland could provoke similar attention. "The bases may enhance Greenland's level of security," he said, "but there is a risk that they will involve Greenland in conflicts that do not concern it."
Last weekend, Greenlanders gathered in several cities to protest Trump's plans to take control of the region.
In Cyprus, protests against British bases have not escalated into large-scale violence, Professor Constantinou explained, as the country has been engulfed in its own political and ethnic conflicts for decades. But there are locals who support the British military presence, especially those working at the Bases.
Pending more details on the agreement between Trump and NATO, some argue that any plan to create a sovereign base would reverse the international principles of self-determination that have been in place since the end of World War II.
"These are new forms of colonialism, through which the imperialist powers maintain control without the burden of governance," said Professor Constantinou. "They are not as visible as the classical colonies, where foreign powers ruled the local populations. They are more digestible, more acceptable forms of sovereign control."
