US President Donald Trump has announced an agreement with Denmark and Greenland that would give the United States a permanent security role on the strategically important Arctic island, including expanded military access and measures to block rival powers from establishing a foothold there.
In a statement posted on his X-handle on Friday, Trump said the agreement would give the US “permanent control” over Greenland’s security and allow Washington to take whatever measures it considers necessary to protect the island and American interests.
He said the agreement would also prevent US adversaries from establishing military bases, deploying troops or making sensitive investments in Greenland without Washington’s written approval.
Trump said the US would immediately begin preparations to establish a larger military presence on the island, which occupies a strategically important position between North America and Europe.
The announcement follows months of tensions over Trump’s push for greater US control of Greenland. However, the agreement does not transfer sovereignty over the territory to the United States.
Denmark and Greenland confirmed that they had reached an agreement with Washington, with the pact expected to be formally signed next week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. It will, however, require approval by the Danish and Greenlandic parliaments.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the proposed agreement recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark as well as the right of Greenlanders to self-determination.
Greenland’s government also said the agreement would strengthen the security of Greenland, Denmark, the United States and the wider Western alliance.
The United States already has a military installation at Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland and has longstanding defence arrangements that allow American military operations on the island.
Trump said the new agreement would allow Washington to expand its military presence in appropriate parts of Greenland and described the arrangement as an “Infinite Life” agreement.
The White House has not publicly released the full text of the agreement, and details of the precise scope of the US security powers remain limited.
Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has been at the centre of growing geopolitical interest because of its location in the Arctic, military significance and potential mineral resources.
