President Donald Trump has announced an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that he says will give the United States a permanent security role in the strategically important Arctic territory.
Trump unveiled the deal on Friday, declaring that Washington would have lasting authority to take measures it considers necessary to protect both Greenland and US national security interests.
“At my direction, we worked with representatives of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland,” Trump said.
He also claimed the arrangement would prevent countries regarded by Washington as adversaries from establishing military bases, deploying forces or undertaking sensitive investments in Greenland without approval.
Trump described the agreement as “a dream come true for the United States of America” and said Washington would be “very protective” of Greenland.
The announcement marks a significant development in Trump’s long-running campaign to expand American influence over the vast Arctic island. He has repeatedly argued that Greenland’s geographic position makes it critical to US security, particularly amid growing competition with Russia and China in the Arctic.
Greenland remains a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, and Copenhagen has consistently rejected any transfer of sovereignty to Washington.
Denmark nevertheless confirmed that an agreement had been reached, while stressing that Greenland’s political status and right to determine its own future remain intact.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the arrangement would strengthen collective security across the Arctic and North Atlantic while recognising “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.”
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen similarly welcomed the agreement, saying it recognised Greenland’s interests and position within international cooperation.
The deal builds upon a longstanding US military presence in Greenland. Under a 1951 defence agreement with Denmark, Washington already possesses broad rights to maintain and expand military facilities on the island.
Trump’s announcement came as NATO’s military leadership gathered in Copenhagen to discuss deterrence and defence, including the alliance’s growing focus on Arctic security.
Earlier this year, NATO launched its Arctic Sentry initiative to coordinate and expand allied military activity across the region, including exercises involving Greenland.
The new agreement is expected to permit an expanded American military footprint while stopping short of transferring Greenland itself to US sovereignty.
The arrangement is expected to be formally signed on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. It will then be subject to the required parliamentary approval procedures.
Russia, meanwhile, has sharply criticised NATO’s increasing military activity in the Arctic.
Russian Foreign Ministry official Vladislav Maslennikov accused the alliance of using alleged threats from the East as justification for strengthening its military capabilities near Russia’s northern frontier.
For Washington, however, the agreement represents a substantial expansion of its strategic position in one of the world’s increasingly contested regions, while Denmark and Greenland maintain that their sovereignty and right to self-determination remain protected.
