US and Denmark reach new agreement on defense and investment in Greenland
The agreement is expected to be signed next week at the U.N.
The United States and Denmark have reached an agreement on defense and investment in Greenland, according to President Donald Trump. The deal is expected to grant the U.S. broader control over security on the Danish territory and enable a significant expansion of American military presence. The agreement is anticipated to be signed at the United Nations General Assembly next week and will replace a 1951 treaty that previously allowed the U.S. to station troops in Greenland.
The new pact would restrict non-NATO nations from establishing military bases or having troops on the island and prohibit investments by non-allies in the critical minerals and mining sectors. These provisions aim to prevent China or Russia from conducting business or establishing a military presence in Greenland, though a NATO official stated there is no indication that either nation has any such intentions.
Trump emphasized that the U.S. will have "the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland to secure and defend the security of Greenland and the United States of America." Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen confirmed the agreement, stating that it strengthens the Arctic and North Atlantic security and recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and Greenlandic self-determination.
The deal is seen as reflecting Greenland's interests and its place in international cooperation. The 1951 agreement between the U.S. and Denmark already gave Washington extensive authority to expand military bases and deploy troops to Greenland, a situation that NATO diplomats have criticized since the Trump administration began.
The U.S. military presence in Greenland has fluctuated over time, depending on the threat landscape, but it has been under the European Command area of responsibility. The new agreement could place Greenland under the Northern Command, which handles security for North America, potentially carving the island away from Denmark in terms of policy discussions at the Pentagon and the White House.
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