The United States and Denmark have reached an agreement aimed at strengthening security in Greenland, potentially easing months of diplomatic tensions triggered by President Donald Trump’s repeated demands for greater American control over the strategically important Arctic territory.
Trump announced the agreement on Friday, saying it would give the United States “permanent control” over Greenland’s security and allow Washington to take whatever measures it considers necessary to protect the territory and American interests.
However, Denmark and Greenland have stressed that the agreement recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark, as well as the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination.
The full text of the agreement has not yet been made public. The three sides are expected to formally sign the pact during the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week, after which it will undergo the necessary parliamentary procedures in Denmark and Greenland.
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Trump said the agreement would prevent countries he considers American adversaries from establishing military bases, deploying forces or making sensitive investments in Greenland without Washington’s written approval.
A US official familiar with the arrangement said it would provide the United States with permanent access, basing and overflight rights and allow Washington to construct additional military infrastructure without requiring separate approval from Denmark or Greenland.
The reported provisions also include restrictions on military activity and sensitive investments by non-NATO countries, particularly Russia and China. The agreement is reportedly intended to remain in effect even if Greenland becomes independent in the future.
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Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen welcomed the prospect of an agreement, saying it would strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic while respecting Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also welcomed the agreement, saying it would strengthen the security of Greenland, Denmark, the United States and the wider Western alliance.
The announcement follows months of pressure from Trump, who repeatedly argued that Greenland was vital to US national security because of its strategic Arctic location and its mineral resources. He had previously threatened to acquire the territory and refused to rule out military action.
The latest agreement, however, does not transfer sovereignty over Greenland to the United States. Greenland remains a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
The United States already maintains a military installation at Pituffik Space Base in north-western Greenland. The base supports missile warning, missile defence and space-surveillance missions and is considered strategically important because of Greenland’s location between North America and Europe.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the agreement as a historic development that addresses Washington’s long-term security concerns in Greenland.
For now, significant questions remain because the actual treaty text has not been released publicly. Its precise legal powers, the extent of any new US military construction and how the provisions will operate alongside existing agreements between the United States and Denmark will become clearer once the document is published.
The proposed pact represents a major shift from months of confrontation over Greenland towards a formal security arrangement, while leaving the territory’s sovereignty under Denmark and preserving Greenland’s stated right to determine its future.
