US President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen signed a new security agreement on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. The pact, published by the Danish Foreign Ministry, allows Washington to expand its military presence on the Arctic island, a move that stops short of Trump's earlier ambitions to acquire the territory outright.
Under the terms, the US will modernise and enlarge its existing Pituffik Space Base, its northernmost military installation, and establish new defence areas at Narsarsuaq in the south and Mestersvig in the east. The agreement also grants US forces "free access to and movement between" these areas, including territorial waters, by land, air and sea, and permits American aircraft to overfly and land anywhere on the island.
The deal reaffirms the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark" and recognises Greenland's "right to self determination." It comes after months of friction between Copenhagen and Washington over Trump's repeated suggestions that the US should take control of Greenland, which he has called essential for American "national security."
In a social media post on Friday, Trump framed the agreement as a strategic victory, writing: "From now on, no U.S. 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."
Both Frederiksen and Nielsen welcomed the pact. Frederiksen said it "strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic Area," while Nielsen described it as being "to the benefit of us all." The agreement effectively resolves a dispute that had strained relations between the US and Denmark, with the US envoy to Copenhagen earlier indicating that the matter was settled.
A strategic Arctic foothold
The Arctic has gained renewed geopolitical importance as melting ice opens new shipping routes and access to natural resources. The US already operates a significant presence at Pituffik, which serves as a key early-warning and space-tracking facility. During the Cold War, the US maintained 17 military facilities and more than 10,000 troops on Greenland; today, Pituffik is the sole remaining base.
The new defence areas at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig are strategically located: Narsarsuaq, in the south, has a long runway that can handle large aircraft, while Mestersvig, on the east coast, offers a foothold closer to European Arctic waters. The agreement also allows the US to move freely between these sites, enhancing its ability to monitor the North Atlantic and the Greenland Sea.
For Denmark, the deal balances its NATO obligations with its sovereignty over Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom. For Greenland, it brings investment and security guarantees without ceding control. The agreement is seen as a compromise that satisfies Washington's demand for a permanent security role while preserving the island's autonomy.
The signing comes as European leaders are increasingly focused on Arctic security, with NATO expanding its presence in the region. The pact also aligns with broader US efforts to counter Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic, a theme that has featured in recent discussions between Trump and other European leaders, including talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
While the agreement does not give the US outright ownership of Greenland, it effectively gives Washington a veto over any foreign military presence or sensitive investment on the island. That provision is likely to be closely watched by Beijing, which has shown interest in Arctic minerals and shipping routes.
The deal has been welcomed by NATO allies, though some European diplomats have expressed caution about the precedent it sets for great-power influence in the region. Still, for now, the focus is on implementation, with US engineers expected to begin upgrades at Pituffik and surveys at the new sites in the coming months.
