UNITED NATIONS: US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Denmark and Greenland signed a new security agreement on Tuesday allowing an expanded American military presence on the strategically important Arctic island.
The agreement, signed during Trump’s visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, falls short of his earlier demand for the United States to take control of Greenland as American territory.
Instead, the deal establishes a framework for greater US military access while reaffirming Greenland’s position within the Kingdom of Denmark.
A text of the agreement released after the signing said the United States could establish a “Golden Dome” defence system in Greenland to protect against ballistic missile threats. Greenland’s location provides a strategic route between Europe and North America and is already home to the northernmost US military installation.
Trump said the agreement gave Washington permanent control over security and other needs on the territory.
He also said no US adversary would be permitted to establish a military presence or make sensitive investments in Greenland without US approval.
Trump signed the agreement alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen following his address to the UN General Assembly.
Agreement strengthens NATO role in Arctic
Frederiksen described the agreement as one that could “last forever” and said it underscored the importance of NATO while respecting Greenland’s right to self-determination.
Nielsen also stressed the importance of maintaining a strong NATO presence in the Arctic.
“We believe that it is vital to keep NATO strong, also in the Arctic, where the alliance has a key role to play,” he said.
At a press conference after the signing, Nielsen said Greenland now needed to work towards rebuilding trust with the United States following months of tensions.
Trump’s earlier refusal to rule out using military or economic force to acquire Greenland had strained relations between Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk and triggered a diplomatic crisis within NATO.
Two new sites opened to US military activity
The United States already operates Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland.
Under the new agreement, two additional sites, Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, will become available for US military activity.
Narsarsuaq is a former Cold War-era airbase whose surrounding population has declined significantly, while Mestersvig is currently used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a Danish special forces unit.
US secures Greenland security deal to expand military presence in Arctic
Trump said the United States would immediately begin developing a larger military presence and would build two major military bases.
The agreement amends a 1951 defence treaty that established the legal basis for the US military presence in Greenland.
It allows Washington to seek additional military sites in the future, subject to mutual agreement. The pact has no specified end date and provides US aircraft and vessels with broad access to Greenland and its territorial waters.
The agreement also bars non-NATO states from establishing military installations on the island and introduces restrictions on foreign investment in sensitive sectors, including critical infrastructure and resource extraction.
Deal requires parliamentary approval
The agreement still requires approval from the parliaments of Denmark and Greenland.
Greenland, a former Danish colony and now a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, is located between the Arctic and North America and is known for its significant mineral and energy resources.
The deal represents a shift from Trump’s earlier push for outright US acquisition of the island.
It would also mark the first major expansion of US military infrastructure in Greenland since the Cold War, when Washington operated 17 installations and had more than 10,000 personnel stationed there.
