US and Denmark announce Greenland security agreement

The United States and Denmark say they have reached an agreement concerning Greenland’s security, with President Donald Trump describing it as giving Washington permanent control over the island’s security. Danish and Greenlandic leaders said the deal would preserve sovereignty and self-determination while strengthening Arctic and North Atlantic security; it is expected to be signed next week.

The United States and Denmark have announced an agreement covering Greenland’s security, with US President Donald Trump saying it gives Washington “permanent control” over the island’s security. Trump announced the deal in a post on Truth Social on Friday.

He said the agreement would prevent any US adversary from establishing a base, maintaining a military presence or making sensitive investments in Greenland without US approval. The source text does not provide the agreement’s full terms, and says it is expected to be signed at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the accord as beneficial to Greenland, Denmark and the United States. She said it would recognise the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, as well as Greenlanders’ right to self-determination, while strengthening shared security in the Arctic and North Atlantic and supporting NATO and Europe.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also welcomed the agreement, saying it was “to the benefit of us all” and would ensure and strengthen the island’s security. The announcement follows repeated threats by Trump since his return to the White House in January 2025 to seize the Danish autonomous territory, which he has presented as a national security concern involving possible Chinese or Russian activity.

That rhetoric has generated opposition across Europe and led to renewed attention to Arctic security. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Greenland earlier this month and announced a €200m partnership for investment this year and next. The Commission has also proposed €530m for Greenland in its 2028–2034 budget, citing the territory’s increasing geostrategic importance, according to the source.

The United States currently operates the Pituffik Space Base, its northernmost installation, on Greenland. The US Space Force uses it for missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance missions. The source says the United States had 17 military facilities and more than 10,000 troops on the island at the height of the Cold War, compared with one base today.