President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a security deal with the leaders of Greenland and Denmark on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, cooling temperatures after his calls for control over the autonomous Danish territory.
“It’s going to be a long-term, fantastic relationship,” Trump said at the event in New York.
“This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody,” he added.
Under the wide-ranging 10-page pact, the United States will build two military bases in southern and eastern Greenland.
These will be established in Narsarsuaq in the south of the island and Mestersvig in the east, in addition to the Pituffik base it already operates in the north.
The deal also reaffirmed “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark” and recognized Greenland’s “right to self-determination.”
Since returning to the presidency in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly insisted that the United States needs to control Greenland for strategic reasons.
This alarmed NATO ally Denmark and sparked fierce pushback from the alliance.
Trump previously said that the arrangement would give America “permanent control” over security for the territory in the Arctic that he has long coveted.
“Mr. President, you have been very clear. You don’t want adversaries to come too close,” said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen ahead of the signing.
“I fully agree, and with this deal, they are not,” she added, noting that adversaries will not be allowed to get control or significant influence in the territory.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen added that Greenland matters for North American security and for transatlantic security.
“This agreement reflects that we understand our responsibility and act accordingly,” he added.
The agreement blocks non-NATO, non-EU countries from strategic sectors in Greenland, in an attempt to bar US adversaries China and Russia from gaining a foothold in the Arctic.
Such parties will generally not be allowed “control, significant influence, or access to non-public information that may constitute a threat to national security or public order” within sensitive sectors.
EU chief Antonio Costa welcomed the deal on Tuesday as a “positive step for transatlantic cooperation and Arctic security.”
“The EU stands ready to continue working closely with Greenland, Denmark and our transatlantic partners for a peaceful, secure and prosperous Arctic,” Costa posted on X.
The agreement also stipulates that Greenland, home to 57,000 inhabitants, must continue to abide by the agreement even if it obtains independence from Denmark.
It should also remain in or join NATO “if necessary.”
Under a 1951 defense pact updated in 2004, Washington was already able to ramp up its military presence on the island provided it informed Denmark and Greenland in advance. – AFP
