Trump, Denmark and Greenland sign historic agreement: A new era in Arctic security

U.S. President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens‑Frederik Nielsen signed a trilateral agreement on Greenland's security at a ceremony held in New York. The agreement, signed under the auspices of the 81st UN General Assembly, expands the United States' military access to and security cooperation in Greenland.

In his speech at the ceremony, Trump highlighted the agreement's importance for the United States, Denmark, and Greenland, thanking Frederiksen and Nielsen. Trump, between the three parties"a very close cooperation"said it would be established.

The U.S. President argued that many previous American presidents had raised the issue of Greenland, but that a concrete step had been taken in his own term. Trump said the agreement was an important development for Europe, the United States, Denmark, and Greenland.

Frederiksen: Important for NATO and Europe

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, however, emphasized that her country is a reliable ally of the United States.

Frederiksen said that the agreement strengthens joint defense and security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, adding that it also matters for NATO and Europe. The Danish government announced that the agreement likewise respects the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of the Greenland people to determine their own future.

The agreement amends and supplements the 1951 United States–Denmark Greenland Defense Agreement. The text expands U.S. access to defense areas in Greenland while introducing provisions for conducting military operations to defend the Arctic and North Atlantic.

Greenland: We are allies of the United States.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens‑Frederik Nielsen also said that the agreement strengthens the island's security cooperation.

Nielsen said that Greenland continues its security cooperation with the United States and is part of the Western alliance. The Greenland Prime Minister also emphasized that the agreement recognizes the right of the Greenland people to determine their own future.

Under the agreement, non‑NATO member states are not allowed to establish military facilities in Greenland or maintain a permanent military presence there without the explicit approval of the parties. Some investments from non‑NATO countries are also subject to restrictions on national security and public order.

U.S. Military Access to Greenland Expands

The agreement grants the United States access to and movement within Greenland's defense areas by land, air, and sea. The text also contains provisions allowing the U.S. to carry out military activities it deems necessary for continental defense and the security of the NATO region.

The agreement signed after Trump’s earlier statements about Greenland being controlled by the United States came after months of tension between Washington, Copenhagen, and Nuuk. However, the deal does not foresee Greenland being transferred to the U.S.; the Danish and Greenlandic authorities say the text respects sovereignty and the right to self‑determination.

The agreement’s entry into force will depend on the completion of the necessary national parliamentary procedures in the parties’ countries.