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US Secures Permanent Security Control Over Greenland
Confirmed
In Short: US President Donald Trump announced a deal with Denmark and Greenland for permanent US control over Greenland's security.
US President Donald Trump announced Friday that he had reached an agreement with Denmark and Greenland, granting the United States permanent control over Greenland's security and barring Russia and China from establishing bases there.
According to Trump, the agreement gives the US 'permanent control over security, and all other needs' in Greenland, a territory that is autonomous but controlled by Denmark.
The deal, which is expected to be signed next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, was hailed by both Denmark and Greenland as a move to strengthen regional security.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the deal 'strengthens the security of Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark, the United States and the Western alliance.
The agreement explicitly bans any non-NATO base or troop presence in Greenland, according to a State Department official.
Trump has repeatedly warned about Russia and China's attempts to establish a foothold in Greenland, citing the territory's strategic location in the Arctic.
The deal also includes 'permanent access, basing and overflights rights,' the official added, and will remain in effect 'forever,' even if Greenland becomes fully independent from Denmark.
The agreement comes after months of threats by Trump to 'take' Greenland over national security concerns, citing its mineral wealth and strategic location.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had previously reached a deal with Trump over Greenland's future, though the terms remained vague.
The full text of the agreement has not been released, and it does not include Trump's earlier ambition to acquire Greenland outright.
What this adds
The agreement does not include Trump's earlier ambition to acquire Greenland outright, and it does not specify the exact terms or costs involved.
The deal is expected to be signed next week, but the full text has not been released, leaving some details unclear.
The US has reportedly been seeking to open three new military bases in southern Greenland, in addition to the existing base in the north.
Background
US President Donald Trump said Washington has entered into an agreement with Denmark and Greenland for permanent control over security and other needs.
President Trump announces a deal granting the US permanent military access and basing rights in Greenland, with no cost to the US.
What's confirmed
- "I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has entered into an Agreement with The Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland, that gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland," Trump said on his Truth Social network.
- "From now on, no US adversary can EVER have a base in Greenland, have a military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments in Greenland, without our express written approval." The 80-year-old said it was an "'Infinite Life' Agreement, there is no end!" and said Washington would immediately start building up a large military presence in the territory.
- Nielsen said it was "gratifying that we are about to enter into an agreement that ensures and strengthens the security of Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark, the United States and the Western alliance".
What's still developing
- Frederiksen had said Monday that she was "optimistic" that ongoing discussions with the United States and Greenland since January could resolve the dispute.
- But several media outlets have reported that the United States wants to open three new military bases in southern Greenland, in addition to the Pituffik base it already has in the north of the territory.
- Since then, tensions have cooled somewhat, and in an apparent move to assuage Trump, NATO launched a new mission to bolster security in the Arctic.
- Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly insisted that Washington needed to control Greenland for strategic reasons, alarming NATO ally Denmark and sparking fierce pushback from the alliance.
- The deal "strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area" while also recognising "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination", she said in a joint statement with Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
- "The agreement recognises Greenland's interests and our place in international co-operation. It is for the benefit of us all," he said.
- The official added that under the current status quo, adversaries have been allowed to invest in Greenland's "sensitive sectors without investment screening".
- He even threatened military action in Greenland, prompting an outcry from Danes and other Nato countries.
- Also read: US military AI blunder: False intelligence on Chinese ship ‘almost started a war,’ report claims Earlier, Reuters reported that the United States and Denmark are closing in on a potential deal over the status of Greenland that would give the US military an expanded presence on the island, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
- The leader had argued that the U.S. must take control of Greenland to avoid Russia and China gaining influence in the Arctic territory, an argument Beijing dismissed as “an excuse” to pursue his own territorial ambitions.
- “Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.