Denmark approves controversial defense deal with US

granting unhindered access to airbases

Denmark, according to reports by The Guardian of Monday, May 19, 2025  has approved a controversial defense deal with the US.

In December 2023, Denmark signed a new defense agreement granting the United States “unhindered access” to Danish airbases.

At the time, the move was largely uncontroversial.

Under the Biden administration, the U.S. was viewed as a dependable NATO ally, and Denmark had long cooperated with the U.S. in military efforts, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Additionally, other Nordic countries – Sweden, Finland, and Norway, had signed similar agreements with the U.S., further normalizing the arrangement.

However, political dynamics have shifted dramatically since then.

With Donald Trump’s return to power, the U.S. has taken a more aggressive stance toward Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Trump has not ruled out the possibility of using military force to seize Greenland.

Also, U.S. intelligence agencies have reportedly been instructed to ramp up espionage in the region.

These developments have sparked renewed scrutiny and unease in Denmark as it prepares for a parliamentary vote on June 11, to formally adopt the agreement.

The agreement, if ratified, will allow U.S. soldiers to be stationed in Denmark under U.S. legal jurisdiction.

This means that if American military personnel commit crimes in Denmark, they would initially be subject to U.S., not Danish, prosecution.

Furthermore, the deal reportedly  grants U.S. forces access to three key Danish airbases, Karup, Skrydstrup, and Aalborg.

It aslo authorizes them to conduct a wide range of military activities.

The activities include the storage of military equipment, stationing of personnel, and carrying out exercises and maintenance.

Of particular concern is the authority the agreement gives to U.S. military police.

They would be empowered to enforce order not only on base but also in surrounding areas, including against Danish civilians.

This has raised fears about potential violations of Danish sovereignty and civil rights.

Peter Vedel Kessing, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for Human Rights who has advised the Danish defense committee, voiced serious concerns.

“If the bill is passed, we risk that American soldiers will have the right to crack down on a demonstration outside one of their bases in order to maintain security and control,” he told The Guardian.

He warned that if excessive force were used by armed U.S. soldiers against civilians, Denmark would be powerless to prosecute them under its own legal system.

Kessing emphasized that the agreement should not move forward until it is definitively determined that it does not violate Denmark’s unwritten constitutional rule.

The said rule prohibits foreign powers from exercising official authority on Danish soil.

Further alarm was raised when a Ministry of Defence consultation note revealed that U.S. forces would be granted authority.

This authority would be to “exercise powers over civilians on Danish territory if necessary” for the operation and defense of U.S. facilities.

In response, the Danish Unity Party labeled the extent of these powers “alarming.”

Trine Pertou Mach, the party’s foreign affairs spokesperson, criticized the agreement, saying, “It is quite far-reaching that we are handing over law enforcement powers to a foreign country’s military police.”

According to the terms of the agreement, it will be irrevocable for ten years.

However, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen recently stated that if the U.S. attempts to annex Greenland, Denmark would be entitled to terminate the agreement early.

“It goes without saying that a complete or partial American annexation of Greenland would entitle Denmark to terminate the defence cooperation agreement,” he noted in a parliamentary statement.

The Danish Ministry of Defence explained to The Guardian that the agreement authorizes U.S. forces to take “proportionate measures.”

These measures are said to ensure the security and operation of U.S. facilities, personnel, and contractors.

These measures, they added, must align with coordinated security plans developed in collaboration with Danish authorities.

The Ministry insisted that U.S. powers on Danish territory are not without limits and must be exercised in accordance with Danish oversight.

Importantly, the agreement emphasizes respect for Denmark’s sovereignty, legal framework, and international obligations.

As the vote approaches, however, many in Denmark remain wary of the broader implications.

This is particularly in light of recent shifts in U.S. foreign policy under Trump and concerns about national sovereignty and civilian rights.

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