US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen have signed a trilateral security agreement allowing a larger US military presence in Greenland.
The agreement was signed during the United Nations General Assembly in New York and marks a shift from Trump’s earlier push for the United States to acquire Greenland. Instead, the deal expands US military access while keeping the strategically located Arctic island within the Kingdom of Denmark.
The agreement allows the United States to establish a “Golden Dome” missile defence system in Greenland and provides for the development of two additional military sites at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig. The US already operates Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland.
The shortest route between Europe and North America passes through the Arctic region around Greenland, giving the island considerable strategic importance for North American and European security. The agreement also restricts the establishment of military installations by non-NATO states and places limits on certain foreign investments in sensitive sectors.
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Trump said before the signing that the agreement gives the United States lasting control over security-related matters in Greenland. The White House described the agreement as providing permanent US basing rights and preventing adversaries from establishing a military or sensitive investment presence on the island.
However, the agreement does not transfer sovereignty over Greenland to the United States. Greenland remains a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Frederiksen said the agreement strengthens the NATO alliance while respecting Greenland’s right to self-determination. Nielsen also stressed the importance of maintaining a strong NATO presence in the Arctic.
The agreement follows months of diplomatic tensions after Trump repeatedly raised the possibility of acquiring Greenland and declined to rule out economic or military pressure to achieve that objective. The issue created strains between Washington, Copenhagen and Greenland’s government and prompted negotiations over a revised security arrangement.
Under the new agreement, Washington will have broad access for its aircraft and vessels across Greenland and its territorial waters. The pact also allows the United States to seek additional military sites in the future, subject to mutual agreement.
The agreement amends the 1951 defence treaty that established the legal basis for the US military presence in Greenland. It has no specified end date and requires approval from the parliaments of Denmark and Greenland.
Greenland, a former Danish colony that gained home rule in 1979 and expanded self-government in 2009, occupies a strategically important position between the Arctic and North America. It is also known for significant mineral and natural-resource potential.
The United States maintained numerous military installations in Greenland during the Cold War, but its current presence has been concentrated primarily at Pituffik Space Base. The new agreement represents the most significant expansion of US military infrastructure on the island in decades.
The deal comes as the Arctic gains increasing strategic importance, with the United States and its NATO allies seeking to strengthen security in the region amid competition involving Russia and China.
