UN: US President Donald Trump has signed a security agreement with Denmark and Greenland to expand the US military presence on the strategically important Arctic island, easing months of tensions over his push to bring Greenland under US control.
Trump signed the agreement with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The deal allows the United States to expand military activities in Greenland while the territory remains under Danish control.
Under the agreement, the US can modernize and expand operations at Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland and establish defense areas at Narsarsuaq in the south and Mestersvig in the east. It also allows Washington to establish additional defense areas and strengthen military facilities in Greenland.
The agreement provides expanded US military access and mobility across Greenland, including undersea access, and supports the potential deployment of the proposed Golden Dome missile defense system.
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It also restricts non-NATO countries from establishing military installations or maintaining a persistent military presence on the island without the agreement of the signatories.
The accord does not have an end date and would remain in effect if Greenland becomes independent, provided Greenland remains a member of NATO and assumes Denmark’s rights and obligations under the agreement.
The United States has maintained a military presence in Greenland for decades. During the Cold War, it operated 17 bases and installations with thousands of personnel. Today, the main U.S. facility is Pituffik Space Base, which supports missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance operations for the United States and NATO.
The agreement follows months of diplomatic tensions after Trump repeatedly called for the United States to acquire Greenland, including refusing to rule out the use of force or economic pressure. Greenland and Denmark opposed the proposed takeover, while the dispute raised concerns within NATO.
Trump said ahead of the signing that the United States would begin developing a larger military presence in Greenland, including two major bases. The agreement is instead centered on expanding US defense access while maintaining Danish sovereignty over the territory.
Frederiksen described the agreement as a long-term security arrangement and said it reinforces NATO’s role in the Arctic. Nielsen said that Greenland’s security and that of the United States are closely connected.
The agreement also seeks to increase Greenlandic participation in contracts linked to the establishment, maintenance, and dismantling of U.S. defense facilities, with the accord stating that such contracts should go to Greenlandic sources to the maximum extent possible.
