WASHINGTON — The United States and Denmark have reached an agreement aimed at strengthening security in Greenland, following months of diplomatic tension triggered by US President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for greater American control over the strategically important Arctic territory.
Trump announced the agreement on Friday, saying it would give Washington permanent authority over security-related matters in Greenland and allow the United States to expand its military presence on the island. He also said the arrangement would address US national security concerns without requiring Washington to acquire the territory.
Denmark, however, stressed that the agreement does not transfer sovereignty over Greenland to the United States.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the arrangement recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark as well as the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination.
The agreement is expected to be formally signed during the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week. It will still need to pass the required parliamentary procedures in Denmark and Greenland before entering into force.
Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the development, saying the agreement would strengthen the security of Greenland, Denmark and the United States while recognising Greenland's interests in international cooperation.
Under details disclosed by US officials, Washington would receive permanent access, basing and overflight rights in Greenland.
The arrangement would also prevent non-NATO countries from establishing military bases or maintaining troops on the island and would restrict investments by countries regarded by Washington as security threats in sensitive sectors.
Russia and China have been specifically cited in connection with those restrictions.
Trump said the United States would begin expanding its military presence in Greenland. Washington already operates the Pituffik Space Base in north-western Greenland, where more than 100 US military personnel are permanently stationed.
The facility plays an important role in missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance.
Greenland's geographical position between North America and Europe has long made the island strategically important for Arctic and North Atlantic security. Its extensive deposits of rare-earth minerals have also increased its geopolitical significance as competition for resources and influence in the Arctic intensifies.
The agreement follows a prolonged dispute over Trump's interest in acquiring Greenland. Since returning to the White House, Trump had repeatedly argued that American control of the island was necessary for national security and had previously declined to rule out using military force to obtain it.
Denmark and Greenland consistently maintained that the territory was not for sale, while Trump's statements generated concern among European governments and other NATO allies.
Despite Trump's description of the new arrangement as giving the United States permanent control over Greenland's security, the island will remain within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Frederiksen said the agreement would reinforce security across the Arctic and North Atlantic while respecting Greenland's sovereignty and right to determine its own future.
