US and Denmark Reach Deal on Greenland

The United States and Denmark have reached an agreement on Greenland’s security, with US President Donald Trump saying the deal gives Washington permanent control over the island’s security and will allow the United States to expand its military presence there.

“I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has entered into an Agreement with The Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland, that gives the United States permanent control over security,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday.

He said the agreement would prevent US adversaries from establishing a military presence or making sensitive investments in Greenland without Washington’s approval. “From now on, no U.S. adversary can EVER have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written approval,” Trump said.

The US State Department said the agreement guarantees Washington permanent access, basing and overflight rights and gives the United States the ability to take what it considers necessary measures to secure and defend Greenland and the American continent. A State Department official said the deal would ensure that Russia and China cannot establish bases, send troops or make investments in sensitive sectors on the island.

Trump said the United States would “immediately” begin developing a larger military presence in Greenland. The island currently hosts the Pituffik Space Base, the northernmost US Department of Defense installation, which is used for missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance.

During the Cold War, the United States operated 17 military facilities in Greenland and had more than 10,000 troops stationed there at its peak. Today, Pituffik is the only US military base on the island.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the agreement as a “great agreement for Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the United States.” She said it recognizes “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.”

Frederiksen also said the agreement strengthens common security in the Arctic and North Atlantic and is therefore “great for NATO and Europe.”

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the deal, saying it was “to the benefit of us all.” He said it would “ensure and strengthen” the security of Greenland, Denmark, the United States and the Western alliance, while recognizing Greenland’s interests and its place in international cooperation.

The agreement is expected to be signed next week during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. However, parliamentary action is still required in Denmark and Greenland before the agreement can take effect.

Trump has repeatedly pushed Denmark to sell Greenland to the United States since returning to the White House in January 2025, arguing that the strategically located Arctic island is essential to US national security. He has also refused to rule out using military force to take control of the territory.

Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly rejected the idea of selling the island, while also saying they were prepared to work with Washington to strengthen US security and commercial interests in Greenland. Reports that the United States had gathered intelligence there were also condemned by Danish and Greenlandic authorities.

Trump has argued that increased activity by Russia and China in the Arctic makes greater US control of Greenland necessary. The agreement, according to the State Department official, bars non-NATO bases on the island and establishes mechanisms to prevent adversaries from making sensitive investments there.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the agreement a “historic deal” and a “huge win” for Washington. “Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area,” Rubio said, adding that the deal “permanently and completely addresses our national security concerns in Greenland.”

Trump’s campaign for greater control over Greenland had caused tensions within NATO and concern among European allies. Imran Bayoumi, an associate director at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, said the repeated US demands and threats had damaged Washington’s image in Europe and were seen by Greenlanders, Danes and other Europeans as an attack on their sovereignty.

European institutions have also increased their focus on Greenland and Arctic security. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Greenland earlier this month and announced a €200 million partnership with the territory, to be invested this year and next.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, von der Leyen said the EU was preparing a “massive European investment surge” in Greenland to strengthen Arctic security. The European Commission has proposed €530 million for Greenland under its 2028-2034 budget, citing the territory’s growing geostrategic importance.

The United States also has a long-standing military presence on the island because of its strategic location between North America and Europe. Greenland is mineral-rich and occupies a key position in the Arctic, where Washington has increasingly focused on competition with Russia and China.