The United States and Denmark have reached a security agreement on Greenland, easing months of diplomatic tensions sparked by President Donald Trump’s threats to take control of the strategically important Arctic territory.
Trump said the agreement would give the United States “permanent control over security, and all other needs” in Greenland, while Danish and Greenlandic leaders stressed that the deal recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.
The agreement is expected to be signed during the United Nations General Assembly next week, although its full text has not yet been released.
Trump said the deal came at “no cost” to the United States and would give Washington the ability to do what is necessary to “secure and defend the security of Greenland”.
He also said the agreement would prevent US adversaries from maintaining a military presence in Greenland or making sensitive investments there without express written approval from Washington.
A US State Department official, speaking anonymously, provided further details of the proposed arrangement, saying it would give the United States permanent access, basing and overflight rights in Greenland.
The official also said the United States would have unilateral authority to build additional military structures on the territory without requiring approval from Greenland or Denmark.
Under the reported provisions, non-NATO countries would be barred from establishing military bases in Greenland, while Russia and China would be restricted from making investments in sensitive sectors considered capable of threatening US security interests.
The agreement would reportedly remain in force even if Greenland becomes independent from Denmark in the future.
However, without the official text, it remains unclear how significantly the new arrangement differs from the 1951 defence agreement between the United States and Denmark, which already gives Washington extensive military rights in Greenland.
The United States currently maintains more than 100 military personnel at Pituffik Space Base in north-western Greenland.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was “pleased that there is a prospect of a good agreement” involving the United States, Denmark and Greenland.
She said the agreement would strengthen common security in the Arctic and North Atlantic while recognising “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination”.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also welcomed the development, saying the agreement would strengthen the security of Greenland, Denmark, the United States and the wider Western alliance.
He said the agreement recognises Greenland’s interests and its place in international cooperation.
NATO welcomed the deal, saying it would help advance security, stability and cooperation in the strategically important Arctic and North Atlantic region.
Trump’s push for greater control over Greenland had triggered months of tension with Denmark and Greenland. He repeatedly argued that the territory was essential to US national security because of its strategic location and its potential vulnerability to Russia and China.
His threats to acquire or take Greenland generated strong opposition among Greenlanders, Danes and other NATO members.
The proposed agreement now appears to shift the dispute away from Trump’s earlier demands for the United States to purchase or take Greenland and towards a wider security arrangement focused on military access and limiting the activities of potential US adversaries.
There are nevertheless concerns in Greenland over the details of the agreement.
Greenlandic MP Naaja Nathanielsen described the development as news many had been hoping for but stressed that it was “absolutely crucial” that any agreement preserve Greenland’s right to self-determination.
Former Greenlandic politician Aaja Chemnitz said she looked forward to the deal being finalised but remained sceptical until its terms were made public.
The strategic importance of Greenland extends beyond its military position. The territory has vast and largely untapped reserves of rare earth minerals, many of which are considered important for modern technologies, including mobile phones, electric vehicles and advanced defence systems.
Trump has also linked Greenland to his proposed Golden Dome missile-defence system, which he says is intended to protect the United States against potential missile attacks from Russia and China.
For Denmark and Greenland, the central issue remains whether the expanded US security role can coexist with their sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to determine the territory’s future.
The full text of the agreement is expected to provide greater clarity when it is signed and submitted for the necessary parliamentary procedures.