US President Donald Trump has announced an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that he says will give Washington “permanent control” over the Arctic territory’s security, while preventing Russia and China from establishing military bases or other strategic footholds there.
Trump made the announcement on Friday, saying the agreement would give the United States the ability to take measures it considers necessary to secure Greenland and protect US interests. He also said Washington would begin plans to expand its military presence across the territory.
The agreement, however, does not transfer Greenland’s sovereignty to the United States. Greenland remains an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the proposed pact recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the kingdom as well as the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also welcomed the agreement, saying it would strengthen the territory’s security and recognise Greenland’s interests in international cooperation.
Under the arrangement announced by Trump, US adversaries would be barred from establishing military bases, deploying troops or making certain sensitive investments in Greenland without US approval. The United States already operates the Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland, which supports missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance missions.
The full terms of the agreement have not yet been made public, leaving questions about the precise extent of the security powers Washington would receive. Danish and Greenlandic authorities said the pact is expected to be signed on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week and will still require the necessary parliamentary procedures before taking effect.
Trump has repeatedly argued since returning to the White House in January 2025 that Greenland is strategically important to US national security, particularly amid growing competition in the Arctic involving Russia and China. His earlier calls for American control of the territory created tensions with Denmark and other NATO allies.
The new agreement appears to provide for an expanded US military role in Greenland while maintaining Danish sovereignty over the territory. The pact is therefore distinct from Trump’s earlier push for the United States to acquire Greenland outright.
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