United States President Donald Trump says a new Greenland security deal with Denmark grants Washington “permanent control” over the Arctic territory’s security and “all other needs,” reigniting debate a year after he threatened to seize the island and unsettled NATO partners.
What’s in the Greenland security deal?
The full text has not been released. Trump says the agreement gives the US permanent responsibility for Greenland’s security at no cost to Washington and blocks US adversaries from building military facilities or making “sensitive investments” on the island without US approval.
A US Department of State official said the pact would prevent non-NATO countries from establishing bases in Greenland and would bar investments that could threaten the United States. That would restrict Russia and China from building bases, sending troops or investing in sensitive sectors.
Mikkel Olesen of the Danish Institute for International Studies said such limits may not be a major concession, noting Denmark and Greenland did not want Russian or Chinese bases there in any case. It remains unclear how broadly the term “adversaries” might be applied in the future.
Trump described the accord as an “Infinite Life Agreement,” saying it would not expire. A State Department official also said it would allow the US to build additional military sites without approval from Greenland or Denmark and that it would continue to apply if Greenland became independent.
There was no explicit reference to US mining rights. Greenland holds significant rare-earth deposits, including zinc, iron, uranium and graphite. Some observers believe Trump’s reference to “sensitive investments” could encompass resource projects. The president has sought to expand US access to rare earths as China curbs exports.
What have Greenland and Denmark said?
Officials in Copenhagen and Nuuk acknowledged the agreement and said details will be announced next week during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Denmark emphasized it retains sovereignty over Greenland and said the deal must be ratified by both the Danish and Greenlandic parliaments.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the accord “recognises Greenland’s interests” and is “to the benefit of us all.” Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called it “great for NATO and Europe,” saying it strengthens collective security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Olesen cautioned that most information so far has come from the US side and should be treated carefully until the terms are published.
Does the deal give the US ownership of Greenland?
No. Frederiksen said the agreement recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.
Olesen said the arrangement could help end the crisis triggered by Trump’s 2025 push to acquire Greenland, without compromising sovereignty. That earlier effort faced strong resistance on the island of about 56,000 people. A January 2025 poll found 85 percent of Greenlanders opposed joining the United States.
What military rights does the US already have in Greenland?
Extensive rights exist under a 1951 defense agreement that grants broad basing and overflight permissions. The treaty authorizes the US to construct bases, station personnel and control landings, takeoffs, anchorages, moorings and the movements and operations of ships and aircraft.
The US operates Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, a Space Force installation with more than 100 personnel.
What would actually change under this new Greenland security deal?
The scope is uncertain. Trump said the US will immediately expand its military presence. Washington already holds rights to build and deploy under the 1951 pact. A former Pentagon official, Imran Bayoumi, said it would be a significant shift if the US can now construct bases unilaterally, though he argued many aims could have been achieved through diplomacy without straining US-NATO ties.
Trump also said the US will support “development and construction” for Greenlanders, without specifics. Richard Weitz of the NATO Defense College said the agreement may defuse a major source of internal tension within NATO. He added that while Trump “backed down and settled for less” than formal annexation, he still “got pretty much everything he wanted, except formal annexation.”
According to Danish authorities, the agreement is expected to be signed during next week’s UN gathering, then considered by the Danish and Greenlandic parliaments.
Trump’s negotiations over Greenland come as he faces scrutiny in other international disputes, including those highlighted in a recent UN report on Iran war crimes.