President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States has reached a security agreement with Denmark regarding Greenland, asserting that the deal grants Washington “permanent control over security, and all other needs” on the territory.
In a social media post, Trump stated that his administration worked with representatives from both Denmark and Greenland to ensure the US retains the “complete ability to do what is necessary” to defend the region indefinitely. The announcement follows months of heightened rhetoric from the president, who had previously threatened to acquire the semi-autonomous Danish territory, a stance that caused friction among European allies and sparked protests in Nuuk.
A joint statement issued by the Greenlandic government and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed that an agreement is expected to be signed next week during the UN General Assembly. The statement noted that the deal would subsequently require parliamentary ratification to enter into force, though it did not disclose specific details beyond stating it aims to bolster security in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.
The current framework dates back to a 1951 agreement that already provides the US military with extensive rights to construct, station personnel, and maintain facilities on the island. Frederiksen described the existing terms as giving the US “wide access,” and she expressed satisfaction with the prospects of the new arrangement, emphasizing that it respects the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark and the self-determination rights of the Greenlandic people.
Under the terms described by Trump, no adversary nation would be permitted to establish a military base, maintain a presence, or make sensitive investments in Greenland without explicit written approval from Washington. The president further declared that the US would immediately begin developing a significant military presence in designated areas across the territory.
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