Donald Trump announced that the United States had reached an Arctic security pact with Denmark and Greenland after repeatedly threatening to take control of Greenland, the semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. The agreement’s full scope was not immediately clear, and statements from Denmark and Greenland indicate it is expected to be signed by the three governments alongside the United Nations general assembly in New York City next week.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s government leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said the pact would preserve the Kingdom’s sovereignty and Greenland’s right to self-determination. They also said it would need to pass parliamentary procedures before it could take effect.
What Trump says the agreement would do
Trump described the pact as “very important, historic, and special” and said it would give the United States permanent control over security and other needs in Greenland. He said Washington would begin developing a large military presence in an appropriate part of the island. Related coverage: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announces testosterone screening for military personnel aged 30 and above.
Trump also said no US adversary would be able to establish a base or military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments there, without written US approval. The United States already has a military presence at Pituffik and rights to expand bases through Nato.
Why Denmark and Greenland say it is different from annexation
Frederiksen called the agreement beneficial to all three parties while emphasizing that it recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination. Nielsen said it would strengthen the security of Greenland, Denmark, the United States and the Western Alliance.
Those statements indicate the pact falls short of Trump’s previously stated aim of acquiring Greenland. Nielsen’s wording also leaves open whether the arrangement mainly restates existing US security rights on the island through Nato.
The wider security dispute
Greenland sits between the United States and Russia and has become more important to defence planning as Arctic ice melts. The island has a longstanding US military presence, including the Pituffik base, which dates to the cold war. Read the context: How Ukraine is targeting Russia’s military space network.
Trump has argued that US control of Greenland is necessary for economic security and has pursued the idea since his first term. Greenlanders have strongly opposed efforts to make the territory part of the United States, while Denmark has repeatedly said Greenland is not for sale.
What happens next
The three governments are expected to sign the pact on the sidelines of the United Nations general assembly in New York City next week, after which it would go through Danish and Greenlandic parliamentary procedures.
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