The United States is set to significantly expand its military presence in Greenland under a new security agreement reached with Denmark and the autonomous territory, shifting Washington’s long-running push for control of the Arctic island toward a permanent defence arrangement.
President Donald Trump announced the agreement on Friday, saying it would give the US enduring authority over Greenland’s security.
Under the arrangement, Washington would gain permanent access, basing and overflight rights, while the US plans to develop a larger military presence at locations to be agreed with Greenland.
Trump said the process of developing the new military footprint would begin immediately, with the US working with Greenlanders on the projects.
A major element of the agreement is a restriction on rival powers establishing a military or strategic foothold on the island.
Trump said US adversaries would be barred from setting up bases, stationing troops or making sensitive investments in Greenland without Washington’s written approval, measures that would particularly constrain potential Russian and Chinese activities.
The deal, however, does not transfer Greenland from Denmark to the United States. Danish and Greenlandic authorities have stressed that the arrangement preserves the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, while recognising Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s office said the three sides expect to sign the agreement during next week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York, although the pact will still require parliamentary approval in Denmark and Greenland. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the agreement recognises Greenland’s interests and strengthens its security.
The agreement follows months of diplomatic tension after Trump repeatedly argued that the United States needed control of Greenland for national security reasons and previously threatened to acquire the territory by force. Denmark, a fellow NATO member, had rejected any transfer of sovereignty, making the new security arrangement a departure from the earlier dispute over outright ownership.
The United States already operates the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland under a 1951 defence agreement with Denmark. The new arrangement is expected to build on those existing rights and remain applicable even if Greenland eventually becomes independent, giving Washington a long-term security role in the strategically located Arctic territory.
