Denmark and Greenland say a proposed agreement allowing the United States to develop a significant military presence in Greenland will respect the territory’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The deal is expected to be signed during next week’s UN general assembly.
The statement followed Donald Trump’s description of the arrangement as giving the US “permanent control” over Greenland’s security. Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, said the proposed agreement recognizes Greenlanders’ right to self-determination and Denmark’s stated limits on the deal.
What Denmark and Greenland are agreeing to
The US, Denmark and Greenland said late Friday that they had reached an arrangement covering expanded US military activity in the strategically located Arctic territory. Denmark and Greenland said the agreement could ease friction with Washington over Greenland while strengthening security in the Arctic and North Atlantic. Read the context: Greenland security pact announced after US annexation threats.
Nielsen said the proposed deal recognizes “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our kingdom” and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination. Rasmussen said a binding agreement should respect what he called the Danish kingdom’s red lines.
What remains unclear
The parties have not published key terms, including the scale of the planned US military presence. It is also not known whether any formal authority over Greenland’s foreign policy or mineral resources would be transferred to Washington.
Trump said the United States would have the ability to take whatever action was necessary to secure and defend Greenland and the US, describing the arrangement as giving Washington permanent control over security and other needs. Those comments have prompted clarification from Denmark and Greenland that the agreement does not compromise sovereignty.
Why the Arctic territory matters
The United States maintains a reduced military presence at the Pituffik space base, formerly known as Thule, where it monitors for missiles. Greenland previously hosted a much larger US presence during the Cold War, including long-range nuclear bombers and early-warning systems. Related coverage: How Ukraine is targeting Russia’s military space network.
The territory’s security, rare earth minerals and emerging Arctic shipping routes have drawn sustained US attention. A NATO spokesperson welcomed the proposed agreement, saying it could advance security, stability and cooperation in the region. A University of Copenhagen political science professor, Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen, cautioned that any formal transfer of power from Copenhagen to Washington could raise concerns among Greenlanders about replacing one colonial relationship with another.
What happens next
The agreement is expected to be signed during next week’s UN general assembly, when more details could clarify the planned US presence and the limits of Washington’s authority.
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